Ben Backstay
This is a fierce Ben Backstayish sort of a sea shanty
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com
Ben Backstay was our boatswain
A very merry boy
For no one half so merrily
Could pipe all hands ahoy
And when unto his summons
We did not well attend
No lad than he more cheerily
Could handle the ropes end
Singing chip chow cherry chow
Fol de riddle ido
Singing chip chow cherry chow
Fol de riddle ido
While sailing once our Captain
Who was a jolly dog
Served out to all our company
A double share of grog
Ben backstay he got tipsy
All to his hearts content
And he being half seas over
Why overboard he went
A shark was on the larboard bow
Sharks don't on manners stand
But grapple all they come near
Just like your sharks on land
We heaved Ben out some tackling
Of saving him some hope's
But the shark had bit his head off
So he couldn't see the ropes
Without his head his ghost appeared
All on the briny lake
He piped all hands ahoy and cried
Lads warning by me take
By drinking grog I lost my life
So lest my fate you meet
Why never mix your liquors lads
But always take them neat
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
