Shallow Brown
Here’s a sad, lonely, and beautiful halyard shanty from the West Indies. There’s mention of whaling, slavery, St Georges (in Grenada), Spanish dollars and silver fountains, but mostly it’s about loss and longing.
Singing notes:
Repetitive call-and-response. With each iteration, the response seems to be longer, slower, more complex and pure. By the end, strangers are friends.
Drinking notes:
A dark and mellow spiced Carribean rum, salted with the tears rolling down your cheeks.
SHALLOW BROWN
Oh I’m going to leave her
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Oh’ I’m going to leave her
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Ship on board a whaler
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
I’m gonna ship on board a whaler
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Bound away to Saint George’s
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Bound away to Saint George’s
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Love you well Julianna
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
I love you well Julianna
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Master’s going to sell me
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Master’s going to sell me
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Sell me to a Yankee
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
He’s going sell me to a Yankee
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Sell me for a dollar
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
A great big Spanish dollar
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Gonna cross them chilly mountains
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Gonna find that silver fountain
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Oh I’m going to leave her
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
Oh I’m going to leave her
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
<--Additional Verses -->
Packet leaves tomorrow
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
I leave you with great sorrow
Shallow, oh Shallow Brown
