Hill an' gully
Hill an' gully
And then you bend down, down, down
Hill an' gully
And then you better mind your tumble down
Hill an' gully
If you tumble down you broke your neck
Hill an' gully
If you broke your neck you go to hell
Hill an' gully
This song (which can be sung as a round.) is from the Caribbean. Communities of farmers would help on each other’s farms, singing digging songs as they worked.
Down the way where the nights are gay
And the sun shines daily on the mountain top
I took a trip on a sailing ship
And when I reached Jamaica, I made a stop
But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston Town
Sounds of laughter everywhere
And the dancing girls swing to and fro
I must declare that my heart is there
Though I've been from Maine down to Mexico
But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston Town
Down at the market you can hear
Ladies cry out as on their heads they bear
Husky rice and salt fish are nice
And the rum is fine any time of year
But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston Town
Irving Burgie
C F Down the way where the nights are gay G7 C And the sun shines daily on the mountain top C F I took a trip on a sailing ship G7 C And when I reached Jamaica, I made a stop C F But I’m sad to say, I'm on my way G7 C Won't be back for many a day C F My heart is down, my head is turning around G C I had to leave a little girl in Kingston Town
O Island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sands
As morning breaks, the heaven on high
I lift my heavy load up to the sky
The sun comes out with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below
O Island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sands
I see woman on bended knee
Cutting cane for the family
I see man by the waterside
Casting his nets into the surging tide
O Island in the sun
Willed to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sands
This is my island in the sun
Where my people have toiled since time begun
And though I've sailed through many a sea
Its shores will always be home to me
Harry Belafonte and Lord Burgess
It's true my love's enlisted, and he wears the white cockade
He is a handsome young man, likewise a roving blade
He is a handsome young man, most right to serve the King
Oh my very, oh my very
Oh my very, oh my very
Heart is breaking all for the loss of him
As I walked out this morning, as I rambled over yon moss
I had no thought of 'listing, till a soldier did me cross
He kindly did invite me to take a flowing bowl
He advanced, he advanced
He advanced, he advanced
Me the money, two guineas and a crown
My love is tall and handsome and comely for to see
But by a sad misfortune a soldier now is he
May the man that first enlisted him not prosper night or day
How I wish that, how I wish that
How I wish that, how I wish that
He might perish all in the foaming spray
O may he never prosper and may he never thrive
In all he puts his hand upon as long as he's alive
May the very ground he treads upon the grass refuse to grow
Since he has been my, since he has been my
Since he has been my, since he has been my
Only cause of my sorrow, grief and woe
Then he's taken out his handkerchief to wipe the flowing eye
Wipe up, wipe up them flowing tears likewise those mournful sighs
And be you of good courage love till I return again
You and I love, you and I love
You and I love, you and I love
Will be married when I return again
More than 100 years old, this song was a favourite with the peasantry in every part of England, but especially in the mining districts of the north.
Last night I heard the wild goose cry
Winging north in the evening sky
I tried to sleep but it weren't no use
For I am the brother to the old wild goose
My heart knows what the wild goose knows
And I must go where the wild goose goes
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wandering soul, or a heart at rest?
The cabin is warm and the snow is deep
And I have a woman who lies asleep
When she wakes at tomorrow's dawn
She'll find, poor critter, that her man has gone
My heart knows what the wild goose knows
And I must go where the wild goose goes
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wandering soul, or a heart at rest?
My woman is kind and good to me
She thinks that she loves me, the more fool she
She must learn that it ain't no use
To love the brother to the old wild goose
My heart knows what the wild goose knows
And I must go where the wild goose goes
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wandering soul, or a heart at rest?
The Spring will come and the ice will break
And I can't linger for a woman's sake
She'll see a shadow pass overhead
She'll find a goose-feather by her bed
My heart knows what the wild goose knows
And I must go where the wild goose goes
Wild goose, brother goose, which is best?
A wandering soul, or a heart at rest
Oh! Blow the man down, bullies, blow the man down!
Way Ay! Blow the man down!
Oh! Blow the man down, bullies, blow him away
Gimme me some time to blow the man down
As I was a-walking down Paradise Street
Way Ay! Blow the man down!
A saucy young damsel I happened to meet
Gimme me some time to blow the man down
I says to her ; Polly and how do you do?
Way Ay! Blow the man down!
She says; None the better for seeing of you
Gimme me some time to blow the man down
Oh! We'll blow the man up and we'll blow the man down
Way Ay! Blow the man down!
We'll blow him away into Liverpool Town
Down in the valley, the valley so low
Hang your head over, hear the winds blow
Hear the winds blow, love, hear the winds blow
Hang your head over, hear the winds blow
Roses love sunshine, violets love dew
Angels in heaven know I love you
Know I love you, love, know I love you
Angels in heaven, know I love you
If you don't love me, love who you please
Put your arms round me, give my heart ease
Give my heart ease, love, give my heart ease
Put your arms round me, give my heart ease
Build me a castle forty feet high
Where I can see her, as she rides by
As she rides by, love, as she rides by
Where I can see her as she rides by
Write me a letter, send it by mail
Send it in care of the Birmingham Jail
Birmingham Jail, love, Birmingham Jail
Send it in care of the Birmingham Jail
C G Down in the valley, the valley so low G7 C Hang your head over, hear the winds blow G Hear the winds blow love, hear the winds blow G7 C Hang your head over, hear the winds blow
Old Ab'ram Brown is dead and gone
You'll never see him more
He used to wear a long brown coat
That buttons down before
Sally free and easy, that should be her name
Sally free and easy, that should be her name
Took a sailor's loving for a nursery game
All the loving that she gave to me was not made of stone
All the loving that she gave to me was not made of stone
It was sweet and hollow like the honeycomb
Think I'll wait till sunset, see the ensign down
Think I'll wait till sunset, see the ensign down
Then I'll take the tideway to my burying ground
Sally free and easy, that should be her name
Sally free and easy, that should be her name
When my body's landed, hope she dies of shame
Cyril Tawney
Now Jack was a sailor as roamed round the town
And he met with a damsel as skips up and down
Says the damsel to Jack now as she passed him by
Would you care for to purchase some quare bungle rye raddy rye?
Fal-da-diddle-ai raddy rye raddy rye
Says Jack to himself now and what can this be
Why the finest old whiskey from far Germany
Smuggled up on a basket and sold on the sly
And the name that it goes by is quare bungle rye ...
Jack gave her a pound and he thought nothing strange
She said hold me old basket while I run for your change
Jack peeped in the basket and a child he did spy
Oh damn it, says Jack, this is quare bungle rye ...
Now to get the child christened was Jack's first intent
And to get the child christened to the parson he went
Says the parson to Jack, now what shall he go by
Oh damn it, says Jack, call him quare bungle rye ...
Says the parson to Jack 'tis a very queer name
Well damn it, says Jack, 'tis a queer way he came
Smuggled up in a basket and sold on the sly
And the name that he'll go by is quare bungle rye ...
So come all you young sailors as roams round the town
Beware of them damsels as skips up and down
Beware of those ladies as you pass them by
Or else they might sell you some quare bungle rye raddy rye
Fal-da-diddle-ai raddy rye raddy rye