“The Bosun's Story”

Alternate titles: “Bos'un's Song”
Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1935 (_Sea Breezes_)
Keywords: shanty whale bragging talltale
Found in: US

Description

Walkaway (stamp and go) shanty. Exaggerated story about a whaling voyage. The crew nails the ship to a whale's tail and thus sails to the North Pole and back. Each stanza ends with "'And that's the truth', said he."

Notes

[Harlow's version is] taken from a 1935 issue of _Sea Breezes_ magazine, published in Liverpool, as given by Capt. A.G. Cole. - SL

References

  1. Harlow, pp. 157-159, "The Bos'un's Story" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. Roud #9141
  3. BI, Harl157
The Traditional Ballad Index is copyright ©2008 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. The Digital Tradition is copyright The Mudcat Cafe.