Lyrics
Pay Me, You Owe Me
Pump Shanty or Halyard Shanty
Traditional
Chorus:
Pay Me, you Owe me, Pay me my money down
You got to pay me Mr. Stevedore, pay me my money down
You owe me, you owe me, pay me my money down
You got to pay me or ya go to jail, pay me my money down.
If I’d a known the boss was blind,
Resp: Pay me my money down
I wouldn’t’a gone to work ’til half past nine.
Resp: Pay me my money down
I thought I heard the old man say;
Resp: Pay me my money down
Dean: Go to shore spend all your pay.
Resp: Pay me my money down (Chorus)
I thought I heard the men below,
Resp: Pay me my money down
Men: You don’t pay us and the ship don’t go.
Resp: Pay me my money down
I need my pay to go to shore,
Resp: Pay me my money down
I’ll drink my whiskey and get some more!
Resp: Pay me my money down (Chorus)
WHERE TO FIND IT
Song Notes
This song has had a storied evolution as a West Indies shore work song that went to sea and evolved into a shanty. Stan Hugill has several useful observations about this song.
Around 2006 Bruce Springsteen added this song to his folk album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. About 2010 Bruce Springsteen included “Pay Me My Money Down” as an all-hands closing song in his subsequent Seeger Sessions Band Tour.