Leave Her, Johnny
The homeward-bound shanty, as John Short of Watchet sang it to Cecil Sharp, for 2 to 4 singers: the soprano is the shantyman and sings each grumble alone, and everyone answers "Leave her, Johnny, leave her" and "It's time for us to leave her" in strong, plain chords. Sailors sang it as the ship came into port, to say what they thought of the ship they were about to leave. Three verses at a steady working pace.
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The first verse
Words: traditional sea shanty (John Short's version, as noted by Cecil Sharp, 1914)Tune: traditional sea shanty (John Short's version, as noted by Cecil Sharp, 1914)
O the times are hard and the wages low;Leave her Johnny leave her;O the times are hard and the wages low,It's time for us to leave her.
About Leave Her, Johnny
Leave Her, Johnny is a homeward-bound shanty. Sailors usually sang it as the ship was coming into port, and the shantyman used it to say what the crew thought of the ship they were about to leave. Cecil Sharp put it among the capstan shanties, for steady work like marching round the capstan or working the pumps, and called this version the usual form of the tune. Our arrangement is read from his English Folk-Chanteys of 1914, as John Short of Watchet sang it, in E dorian as printed, on the harmony of Sharp's piano part. This is three verses for 2 to 4 singers, the soprano singing each grumble alone.
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