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Song Ambassador

Salt Sea Singers

Origin

possibly Irish or British Isles

Time Period

19th century

Song Type

Pump or halyard shanty

Welcome to the 2024 Sea Song Showdown fundraiser. We’re singing our hearts out to raise money for our educational and interpretive programs at the Maritime Museum of BC!

To put the “fun” in “fundraiser”, we’re showcasing eight classic sea songs performed by maritime organizations in weekly matchups until 24 June; follow along on our blog and social media to see which sea song is this year’s favourite. All campaign proceeds go directly to support our programs, but you can let us know which sea song inspired your donation by voting each week.

The Salt Sea Singers present this wonderful pump or halyard shanty called “Leave Her, Johnny”–the “her” refers to a ship! The lyrics, describing the end of a sea journey for a ship’s crew, also reveal when this kind of song was often sung: for the final tasks aboard for the crew. We are using generally neutral lyrics, but there are many versions of this shanty in which the crew’s final song was a list of complaints about the voyage!

The Lyrics

There are many versions and arrangements for this song. We’re using these lyrics:

I thought I heard the Old Man say
“Leave her, Johnny, leave her”
Tomorrow you will get your pay
And it’s time for us to leave her


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the winds
don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

Oh, the wind was foul and the sea ran
high
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
She shipped it green and none went by
And it’s time for us to leave her


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the winds
don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her


We swear by rote for want of more
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
But now we’re through so we’ll go on
shore
And it’s time for us to leave her


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is long and the winds
don’t blow

2022.R.0134 Thermopylae Model

From the Thermopylae Club logbook:

Trafalgar Day, 1932: On this day a number of men were gathered at Major Longstaff’s house, where a very pleasant evening was passed in talking ships, and some very fine lantern slides of old war-ships were shown. Towards the end of the evening it was proposed to form a Ship-lovers Association as many retired sailors live in and about Victoria BC, who would appreciate an organization of this kind, as it would afford them advance of meeting men of their own cloth, and the opportunity of swapping yarns.

Photo: MMBC Collection 2022.R.0134. Thermopylae model.