Blow The Man Down - Robert Shaw
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Lyrics
Oh blow the man down bullies,
Blow the man down
To me way, hey, blow the man down
Blown the man down bullies, blow him away
Gimme some time to blow the man down
We went over the bar on the thirteenth of May
To me way, hey, blow the man down
A (?) jumped and (?) gime him away
Gimme some time to blow the man down
As I was a walkin' down Paradise Street
To me way, hey, blow the man down
A sauch young mantle I happened to meet
Gimme some time to blow the man down
I says to her (?) and how do you do
To me way, hey, blow the man down
Says she none the better for seeing of you
Gimme some time to blow the man down
Oh sail as is tinkers and tailors as men (?)
To me way, hey, blow the man down
And we're all in a scoundty to see you again
Gimme some time to blow the man down
So we'll blow the man up
And we'll blow the man down
To me way, hey, blow the man down
And we'll blow him away into Liverpool town
Gimme some time to blow the man down
Gimme some time to blow the man down
Gimme time, Gimme time, Gimme time
Gimme time, Gimme time, Gimme time
To blow the man down
Non-sailors that signed up not knowing the
Harsh conditions they'd face as soon as they
Left the port
When a sailor said that a man was blown down, it meant that he was knocked to the ground. Blow the Man Down is a song about the unfair beating of sailors aboard ships, particularly on the Black Ballers (fast packet ships that sailed between New York and Liverpool.) Originally a halyard shanty.
Packet ship - a ship traveling at regular
Intervals between two ports, originally for the
Conveyance of mail.