Lyrics

Rise Me Up from Down Below

Oh, whisky is the life of man.
Always was since the world began.

(Chorus)
Oh, Whiskey, oh, Johnnie, oh,
Rise her up from down below,
Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, oh,
Up aloft this yard must go,
John rise her up from down below!

Oh, whisky is the life of man.
Whiskey from an old tin can. (Chorus)

Whiskey made me pawn me clothes,
And whiskey gimme a broken nose. (Chorus)

I thought I heard the first mate say,
“I treats me lads in a [thump] decent way.” (Chorus)

I thought I heard the old man say,
“One more turn and then belay!” (Chorus)

A glass of whiskey for every man,
And a bottle full for the shantyman!

Oh, Whiskey, oh, Johnnie, oh,
Rise her up from down below,
Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey, oh,
Up aloft this yard must go,
John rise her up from down below!

“Up she goes!”

Song Notes

This song is a close cousin to Whiskey Johnny, but features a chorus instead of a call and response.  This sea shanty was brought to King Richard’s Faire by Rob Middleton in 1985, and I’ve not heard it elsewhere since then.  (Rob performed this song on the Gazebo Singers 1997 music collection which was originally distributed on cassette tape, but I digitized my copy.)  I looked this song up in Hugill’s Shanties from the Seven Seas to confirm its history and to note that Rob used his own choice of words in the chorus and verses, which is certainly the shantyman’s prerogative. — Dean Calin