A capstan chantey in origin, with some evidence of it being used at the pumps, but we sing it as a forebitter, rearranging the verses and presenting it more for a pub audience. A “Yellow Girl” is an odd slang sometimes referring to an Asian girl, a mulatto girl or, in the case below, a mixed race girl of Spanish and local native blood. Callao is an old port city (1537 founding date) of mid-coast Peru, within shouting distance of Lima. The verse of falling on the feather bed is my own composition to fill out the story.

Jos. Morneault

 

Oh, once I met a lovely girl way down in Callao
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!
In a bawdyhouse called Madam Gashee’s, a place ye all should go.
Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go!

Chorus: /: Doodle let me go, me girls, doodle let me go
 Hurrah, me yeller girls, doodle let me go! :/

She took me in she gave me gin, she danced me on the floor.
Well being just a sailor lad I stayed around for more!

Chorus

She swung her hips, she tripped her feet, she winked her sassy eye.
She told me she’d a room upstair, a place where we could lie.

Chorus

She chased me ‘round the sofa, boys, wasn’t it a show!
She grabbed me by the bobstay, and she wouldn’t let me go!

Chorus

We fell upon her feather bed, our clothes all scattered ’round.
She did to me such naughty things, the world went ’round and ’round.

Chorus

Well the crew is drunk, the mate is sunk, and the Old Man’s got a load.
We’ll throw a line ‘round Madam Gashee’s and take them all in tow.

Chorus