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Roll Her Down the Bay

[trad.]

This halyard shanty is also known als Emma Emma. A.L. Lloyd sang Roll Her Down the Bay in 1974 on the LP Sea Shanties with Roy Harris, Ian Manuel, Bernard Wrigley, and Martyn Wyndham-Read singing the chorus. This track was later included in the compilation CD Classic A.L. Lloyd. Lloyd commented in the CD sleeve notes:

This shanty is primitive in structure, a litany-like one liner, with a chorus on a fine descending slope. Ted Howard, a pillar of the Barry Riggers, a club of oldtime sailing ship men, recorded this for us shortly before his death in 1954. It is for halyards. “Pull on the end of Juliana,” says Ted.

Bellowhead recorded Roll Her Down the Bay in 2008 for their album Matachin.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings Roll Her Down the Bay Bellowhead sing Roll Her Down the Bay

Emma, Emma let me be

Chorus (after each line):
Roll her down the bay to Juliana

Oh Miss Emma don't you cry
Haul away me bully boys
Blackbird sang unto the crow
Wish I had that girl in tow
Oh the dawning of the day
Haul away and get your pay

Windward girls are hard to beat
Haul in on your ol' main sheet
Haul boys when she takes the roll
Shake an' break her, blast your soul
Sweat that yard the mate did say
One more pull and then belay

Oh Miss Emma let me be

Chorus (after each line):
Roll her down the bay to Juliana

Now I'm bound away to sea
Oh Miss Emma fare you well
You'll always be my darling girl
Blackbird said unto the crow
I wish I had my girl in tow
In the morning we did sail
Round the horn and chasing whale

Them Windwards girls they all love me
Now I'm bound away to sea
Why do them Judies love me so?
Because I don't tell all I know

Them Windward girls are hard to beat
When they pull on your main sheet
Oh boys when she takes a roll
Make her, break her, blast your soul
Sweat that yard the mate did say
When you're hauling then belay
Oh the dawning of the day
Haul away and get your pay