Blow the Man Down
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Blow the Man Down is a sea shanty. The lyric "Blow the man down" refers to the act of knocking a man to the ground.
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[edit] History
Contemporary publications and the memories of individuals, in later publications, put the existence of this shanty by the 1860s. The Syracuse Daily Courier, July 1987, quoted a lyric from the song, which was said to be used for hauling halyards on a steamship bound from New York to Glasgow.[1] In 1879, George Haswell was passenger aboard another steamship, from London to Sydney, at which time he noted some of the shanties of the crew. These were published in the ships own fortnightly newspaper, The Parramatta Sun, and they included a full set of lyrics for "Blow the Man Down." The lyrics take up the theme of a ship of the Black Ball Line, and include the refrains, "Wae! Hae! Blow the man down / Give me some time to blow the man down."[2] Although Haswell's article did not receive wide circulation, it did find its way into the hands of Laura Alexandrine Smith, whose own large collection of sailors' songs, The Music of the Waters (1888), was one of the first to be widely available. Smith reprinted the lyrics gathered by Haswell.[3] She also presented a different version of the song that she herself presumably collected, and which was said to be used for hoisting topsail yards. Its lyrics include reference to a sailor coming home to England from Hong Kong, as well as meeting a girl on "Winchester Street."
[edit] Lyrics
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The full lyrics are:[citation needed]
Chorus:
Oh, blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down
Way hey blow the man down
Oh, blow the man down, bullies, blow him away
Give me some time to blow the man down!
As I was a walking down Paradise Street
Way hey blow the man down
A pretty young damsel I chanced for to meet.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
She was round in the counter and bluff in the bow,
Way hey blow the man down
So I took in all sail and cried, "Way enough now."
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
So I tailed her my flipper and took her in tow
Way hey blow the man down
And yardarm to yardarm away we did go.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
But as we were going she said unto me
Way aye blow the man down
There's a spanking full-rigger just ready for sea.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
But as soon as that packet was clear of the bar
Way aye blow the man down
The mate knocked me down with the end of a spar.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
It's starboard and larboard on deck you will sprawl
Way aye blow the man down
For Kicking Jack Williams commands the Black Ball.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
So I give you fair warning before we belay,
Way aye blow the man down
Don't ever take heed of what pretty girls say.
Give me some time to blow the man down!
Chorus
[edit] References in the lyrics
Paradise Street is a street in Liverpool, England that was frequented by sailors whose ships had docked at the port. A traditional explanation of its origins is that the Black Ballers were fast packet ships of the American Black Ball Line that sailed between New York and Liverpool towards the end of the 19th century.
Sailors reached America about 4 weeks after leaving Liverpool and returned about 3 weeks later. The speedy journey meant that sailors were paid earlier than those on other lines making the Black Ball ships very popular.
Sailors were regularly beaten on these ships and being "blown down" was a man on the deck floor as a result.
[edit] In popular media
Tønsberg Sjømannsforenings shantykor (The Shanty Choir of Tonsbergs Sailor's Association) recorded it in Oslo on April 14, 1965. It was released on the extended play Shanties (HMV 7EGN 53).
It was also used in the 1930s adaptation of Popeye by Fleischer Studios as the background music for Bluto.
In the episode "The Work Song Nanocluster" of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Penny and Sheldon use the tune from "Blow the Man Down" with different lyrics as a work song to speed up the manufacturing process in their new home business.
