Lyrics

Haul Boys Haul

Now when I was a school boy, I lived at home at ease.
Now I am a sailing man I sail the wintry seas.
I thought I’d like seafaring life, It was alright ’till I found,
Its a damn sight worse than slavery when we get off the ground. 

(Chorus)
And it was haul boys, haul. haul boys, haul.
Heave away the capstan lads and lets get up the trawl.
When the winds are blowing, the ships a gently rolling,
My Emma, my Emma, won’t you be true to me?

Now every night in winter, as reg’lar as a clock,
It’s on me old sou’wester, likewise your oilskin frock,
And then up to the capstan, lad, and then we’ll heave away,
Well that’s the cry in the middle of the night as well as in the day. (chorus)

Now when the fish are up on deck, a piling to our knees,
We’ll slip and slide and wonder why we ever went to sea.
But then ashore we sell the catch; that’s easier to bear
For its beer all night in the ladies arms when we get paid our share. (chorus)

With winter passing over, and springtime coming on,
We’ll go out in all weather, no time for beer and song,
For the fish don’t wait for lovers, as you might quickly find,
So put on your oilskin jackets lads and leave the girls behind. (chorus)

And when our trip is over, hard up the tiller goes.
Its straight up in to Yarmouth with a big gin on her nose.
And when we reach the pier head the girls all loudly say,
“Her come our jolly trawling lads that have been so long away.”

And it was haul boys, haul! Haul boys, haul!
Heave away the capstan, lads, and lets get up the trawl.
When the winds are blowing, the ships a gently rolling,
My Emma, My Emma, won’t you be true to me?
My Emma, My Emma, won’t you be true to me?

Song Notes

This is an enormously popular maritime song performed and recorded by many folk and maritime musicians.  The version offered here was transcribed from Johnny Collins’ performance on his Shanties & Songs of the Sea recording.  Click over to Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music for some very interesting history of this song.

Trawl: A sturdy bag or net that can be dragged along the bottom to catch fish or towed at various depths above the bottom for the same purpose.

Jib: a triangular sail carried forward of the mast, its luff attached to the forestay. Jibs and Genoas are types of headsails.