{"id":5286,"date":"2019-08-30T06:57:38","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T10:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=5286"},"modified":"2024-02-28T19:46:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T23:46:26","slug":"where-am-i-to-go","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/?page_id=5286","title":{"rendered":"Where Am I To Go"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is seemingly a lesser known song in the sea music genre.\u00a0 Stan Hugill in his “Shanties From The Seven Seas” (1961) tells that he had learned this song from one of his favourite sources (Harding the Barbarian from Barbadoes) and that it was a halyard chantey.\u00a0 It, therefore, is considered to date to the very early 20th century although some musicologists have mused that they believe it to date some 40 or 50 years earlier… but without any printed proof.\u00a0 Stan does write that he was unable to find it in print anywhere before he himself published it.\u00a0 It morphed – like so many of these chanteys do – into something of a folk song although in its work-song form it has been recently revived, most notably in the latest Assassin’s Creed video game and the sea music spin-off recording.\u00a0 One can find lovely recordings by David Littlefield and by Gordon Bok and by the X-Seamens Institute and by Stuart Markus of the more folk-song version (minor change in the melody) versus the Stan Hugill version performed by The Shanty Crew or by Sean Dagher (I believe that is the gent who sings it in the Assassin’s Creed recording). In every case, it is sung in a 4\/4 time.\u00a0 However, when I present the song and play the concertina to it, it seems to want to slip more into a slow but lively 6\/8 walking song<\/strong><\/span>; this, in turn, makes it sound more like a pumping chantey.<\/p>\n

Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

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C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/strong>
\nWhere am I to go, me Johnnies,
\nG\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/strong>
\nWhere am I to go?
\n.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/strong>
\nTo me way, hey, hey,<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em>G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/strong>
\nHey, the roll and go.<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em>F\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/strong>
\nWhere am I to go, me Johnnies,
\nF\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 G<\/strong>
\nWhere am I to go?
\nC\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 F<\/strong>
\nl’m a young sailor lad,<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em>C\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 G\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/strong>
\nAnd where am I to go?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Way out on that tops’l yard,
\nThat’s where you’re bound to go….
\nTo me way<\/span><\/em><\/strong>…
\nWay out on that tops’l yard
\nTo furl the tops’l O!
\nI’m a<\/span> young…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now way out up that t\u2019gallant yard
\nThat\u2019s where you\u2019re bound to go\u2026
\nWay out on the t\u2019gallant yard
\nTo take the gan\u2019sul in\u2026<\/p>\n

Way out on that royal yard,
\nThat’s where you’re bound to go….
\nWay out on that royal yard
\nThat royal for to stow.<\/p>\n

You’re bound away around Cape Horn
\nThat’s where you’re bound to go…
\nYou’re bound away around Cape Horn
\nThrough gale and ice and snow.<\/p>\n

Now where am I to go, me Johnnies,
\nWhere am I to go…
\nWhere am I to go, me Johnnies,
\nWhere am I to go…<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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