O Stormy's gone that good old man / Stormalong / O Stormy he is dead and gone mp3 midi free download beach motel Sechelt bed breakfast mp3 midi free download beach motel Sechelt bed breakfast

Stormalong

Melody - traditional

Capstan Chanty

O Stormy, he is dead and gone;
To my way, you storm along,
O Stormy was a good old man;
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong.

We'll dig his grave with a silver spade,
To my way, you storm along,
And lower him down with a golden chain.
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong.

I wish I was old Stormy's son,
To my way, you storm along,
I'd build a ship of a thousand ton.
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong.

I'd fill her with New England rum,
To my way, you storm along,
And all my shell-backs, they'd have some,
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong.

O Stormy's dead and gone to rest,
To my way, you storm along,
Of all the sailors he was best.
Ay, ay, ay, Mister Stormalong.
O, Stormy's gone, that good old man,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
O, poor old Stormy's dead and gone,
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

2. We dug his grave with a silver spade,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
His shroud of the finest silk was made.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

3. We lowered him with a silver chain,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
Our eyes all dim with more than rain.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

4. An able sailor, bold and true,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
A good old bosun to his crew.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

5. He's moored at last, and furled his sail,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
No danger now from wreck or gale.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

6. I wish I was old Stormy's son,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
I'd build me a ship of a thousand ton.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

7. I'd fill her up with New England rum,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
And all my shellbacks they would have some.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

8. I'd sail this wide world 'round and 'round,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
With plenty of money I would be found.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

9. Old Stormy's dead and gone to rest,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
Of all the sailors he was the best,
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!

One of the most stately of all sea shanties, 'Stormalong' sums up the sailors' admiration for a great man who has died. It has always been very popular and hardly surprisingly for it has one of the most touching melodies of all. It is tantalising to speculate who was the original of 'Mister Stormalong'. He must have been quite a character. One authority insists that he was, in fact, John Willis - a famous early-Victorian London ship master and owner whose son was also called John Willis and owned the famous Cutty Sark.