Boney

[ Roud 485 ; Ballad Index Doe006 ; trad.]

This short drag shanty was sung by A.L. Lloyd on the B-side of the musical score from the film Whaler Out of New Bedford. The album notes explained:

A short drag shanty. These simple shanties were uses when only a few strong pulls were needed, as in boarding tacks and sheets and bunting up a sail in furling, etc. Boney was popular both in British and American vessels and in one American version Bonaparte is made to cross the Rocky mountains.

Compare to this Maddy Prior singing Boney as part of her song cycle With Napoleon in Russia on her album Ravenchild.

Lyrics

Boney was a warrior
Way-aye-yah!
A warrior, a tarrior,
John François.

Boney fought the Prussians,
Boney fought the Russians.

Boney went to Elba,
Boney he came back again.

Moscow was a-blazin',
And Boney was a-ragin'.

Boney went a-cruisin',
Aboard the Billy Ruffian.

Awain in St. Helena,
Boney broke his head and died.

'Twas on the plains of Waterloo,
He met the boys who put him through.

He was a ruddy general,
A ruddy, snotty general.

Give her that to gallant sails,
It's a weary way to Baltimore.

Pray the captain drive up,
Must-a(?) chafed and leathered.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke