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Leave Her Johnnie


A hundred miles from the Longships Light —
Leave her, Johnnie, leave her! —
And blowing up for a dirty night —
And it's time for us to leave her!

Down by the head and settling fast —
Her name and number's up at last,
And it's time for us to leave her!

It isn't the sea she's sailed so long:
It isn't the wind that's used her wrong,
But it's time for us to leave her!

We've pumped her out with a right good will,
A day and a night, and she's sinking still,
And it's time for us to leave her!

She's smashed above and she's stove below,
And there's nothing to do but roll and go,
For it's time for us to leave her!

A hundred miles from the Longships Light —
Leave her, Johnnie, leave her! —
And blowing up for a dirty night —
It's time for us to leave her!

Notes

From RHYMES OF THE RED ENSIGN, edited by Cicely Fox Smith, published by Hodder and Stoghton, London, UK, © 1919, p. 31; first published in THE LONDON CHRONICLE.

Here we have the old shellbacks singing an update of their old pumping shanty, as they row away from their sinking steamer which likely has struck a mine while nearing the English coast in World War 1.

This can easily be sung to the traditional shanty tune of the same name. This poem was first adapted for singing by Bob Zentz (US), as recorded on his CD titled CLOSE-HAULED, ON THE WIND OF A DREAM, © 2007.

The header graphic is of the steamer Lillian that was actually sunk off the New Jersey shore after a collision with a German freighter in February of 1939; the photo was taken by Paul C. Morris.

Jim Saville and Charley Noble

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Comments


  • Charley Noble Moderators member
    January 5, 2006
    Edit | Reply
    Folksinger Bob Zentz has in fact recorded this poem to the traditional sea shanty "Leave Her, Johnny" and it will be released soon on his long awaited CD entitled CLOSE-HAULED ON THE WIND OF A DREAM. All the songs are his arrangements of C. Fox Smith poems.

    In this WW I era poem the old steamer has likely hit a mine and the old shellbacks have done their best to keep her afloat but it's a losing effort.

    Charley Noble