Johnny Collins - Eliza Lee (Capstan Shanty)

Johnny Collins - Eliza Lee (Capstan Shanty) from the "Shanties & Songs of the Seas" album.

[@nicodemisfinch6543]

This song made me buy every Johnny Collins album.

[@arkady714]

Listening to this as part of my preparation for the Pensacola to Havana sailboat race. We set sail in 16 days.

[@gadjox]

Cool stuff! :) Best of luck to you

[@madmadameminx]

A year late, but I just found your comment. How was your race? It must have been thrilling.

[@Philip_Recchia]

Howd the race go?

[@arkady714]

@@Philip_Recchia Finished 3rd in a field of eight. Sailed four days on the Gulf of Mexico with good winds and no storms. Spent five days in Havana. The Cubans are the nicest people and their Spanish was clear as a bell. The quote of the trip came on the 2nd morning when I asked "what constellations did we see last night?" and was answered by a crew mate "All of them!" Thanks for asking.

[@justforever96]

From what I've found about this song, a "bullgine" is slang for a small dockside locomotive used on quays and such for loading ships. He's saying "clear away and lets get this thing loaded". The rest is about a ship. That's the best I've found so far, which isn't great, but it makes the most sense.

[@nowthisis2stupid]

justforever96 Bullgine or bulgine is actually slang for engine. This would have been from the time that steam engines were becoming more and more prominent on merchant and naval vessels alike. It's likely it could have been shared by railroaders and sailors alike. Seeing as bull, bullgine and bulgine are all specific to steam engines in particular. In my mind, this song is referring to clearing the way to let the ships bull run.

[@rkt739]

It's probably a dock-workers' shanty, like Roll the Woodpile Down.

[@joeturner1597]

Bulgine is the John Bull. First loco in America. It still runs. The chorus is about sex. Google John Bull loco and then Jaunting car images and all will become clear. Rig a jig is just a variant of jig a jig.

[@jiml6570]

@@nowthisis2stupid probably talking about clearing away the track which would be the main sheet system on a sloop and just using the engine instead of the sails. like "we'll leave that brig three points away" since brigs where generally considered a fast rig and they are just gonna blow past it using their engine

[@markvargus6519]

If this song is a true capstan shanty, it was primarily sung as a ship raised or lowered its anchor. It was used to keep everyone stepping in rhythm. But that's what most people don't realize. Shanties were used to keep timing and rhythm when handling complex tasks on a ship. You needed a way for everyone to know when to do something. That's the one thing so few of these videos show. I almost wish someone would get a sailing ship from that time and film these during actual sailing operations to demonstrate how important they once were.

[@jasonmccain9544]

Wow! This is a good song!

[@jonblow8170]

It's actually Dave Webber singing, although you just make out Johnny in the chorus. Great rendition whatever!

[@ostlandr]

I always thought this was a halyard chantey, not a capstan chantey. I actually use this one for pulling in yards of garden hose when I water the horses on the weekend. (At the Dreadnoughts' tempo, though.)

[@benjaminwhitehead4050]

I have got to try that

[@ChristianWandzala]

As opposed to fishing for them online (and the version here does not seem to be anywhere) -- for those who'd like to see what's being sung here, the lyrics sound a bit more like this: The smartest clipper you can find, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? Is the Margaret Evans on the blue star line! Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on me knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh the Margaret Evans on the blue star line, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? She's never a day behind the time, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on me knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh we're outward bound for New York Town, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? We'll dance them bowry girls around, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on me knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Well we stowed our freight on the west creek pier Ho eh, ho are you most done? We'll head right back for some Liverpool beer, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on me knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh I thought I heard the old man say Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? We'll leave that brig three points away Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on me knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. And when we're back in Liverpool town, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? I'll stand you's whiskeys all around! Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To me aye rig a jig in a jolting car, Ho eh, ho, are you most done? With 'Liza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run.... * The use of "'Liza" was rather common for "Elizabeth"/"Eliza" etc etc. For quick example, cf. "Follow Me Up to Carlow", where Queen Elizabeth I is referred to as such *

[@otteroftoast2616]

What language were they speaking? I don't recognize this dialect.

[@otteroftoast2616]

hetrodoxly Are you sure? I head Icelandic or some fort of-- seizure language. (This is what's known as 'a joke'.)

[@otteroftoast2616]

hetrodoxly T_T How does this keep going so far over your head?

[@otteroftoast2616]

hetrodoxly *So many facepalms were had that day* Here's twenty bucks. Buy yourself a sense of humor. :\

[@otteroftoast2616]

hetrodoxly Edgy, you are. :U

[@tigertonten]

"Bulgine" is an auxilliary engine used on later sailing ships, to power a winch or capstan, usually.

[@sophiatalksmusic3588]

Everyone in the comments: *Discussing what a "bullgine" or "jaunting car" is and possible interpretations of the song* Me: "Wait. So if Eliza Lee is on his knee, then that's a person, not the name of a ship-"

[@jsbhmm8232]

Uh, the name of the ship is the Margaret Evans, a packet of the Blue Star Line, the same shipping company that owned the Titanic.

[@sophiatalksmusic3588]

@@jsbhmm8232 Yeah; I know. It's just so often that ships are named after women, I first saw the title "Eliza Lee" and was expecting it to refer to a ship, not a person.

[@connormclernon26]

@@jsbhmm8232 White Star Lines owned Titanic

[@jsbhmm8232]

@@connormclernon26 My mistake...

[@jsbhmm8232]

@@sophiatalksmusic3588 Right.. I think there was an actual famous woman named Eliza Lee in the 19th century in New England. I dont know if they are related.

[@QUEPORRAHEESSAVLOGLA]

Perfect

[@nowthisis2stupid]

"The Bowery is a street and neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan" from Wikipedia. I thought it was interesting to find the meaning Bowery girls.

[@nowthisis2stupid]

@richbrutus Was that part of Manhattan known for it's breweries?

[@connormclernon26]

@@nowthisis2stupid probably it’s brothels

[@bakters]

"Eliza Lee" The smartest clipper you can find is, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? Shes the Margaret Evans on a blue sky line! Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh, we're outward bound for the west creek pier Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? We'll go ashore at liverpool pier, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. And when we're over in New York Town, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? We'll dance their bowly girls around, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh the Margaret Tenans on the blue star line, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? Shes never a day behind the time, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. Oh, when we're back in Liverpool town, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? I'll stand your whiskeys all around! Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run. To my aye rig a jig in a junting gun, Ho eh, ho ah, are you most done? With Eliza Lee all on my knee, Clear away the track and let the bulgine run.

[@jrcrawford4]

"Timme [To me] hey/aye rig a jig in a jaunting car" - there's also a slightly different tune that uses "low-backed" car.

[@skipy936]

Sounds like that Webber bloke to me, bless im!

[@Beemerboy324]

The version I learned said "...clear away the drag and let the bulgine run." Makes more sense since a drag is a term for a brake. Otherwise it sounds more like a song about a train, in the chorus anyway.

[@justforever96]

It is about a train..."bullgine" is sailor slang for locomotive.

[@orcanjus]

Sounds more like I'd be pulling in a whaleboat to this one!! Where could I find lyrics to this?? Hard to rest to this chantey....OMG! Thanks!!

[@canadianbacon007]

O de worl' was made in 6 days & ended on de 7 Ah, he, ah ho are you most done But accordin' to de contrac' it orter been 11 So clear de track let de bulgine run

[@philunruhe1789]

Isn't this just Clear Away The Track? Why is it named Eliza Lee?

[@rkt739]

One song, multiple names. I've also seen it called "Let the Bulgine Run."

[@MagnificentFiend]

_With 'Liza Lee upon my knee..._

[@MagnificentFiend]

_With 'Liza Lee upon my knee..._

[@JT-lb7oc]

What Is a bulgine ?

[@knuckles1206]

a steam loco

[@mickeymouse2025]

Can anyone who finds this comment tell me what accent this is? I cant find this accent anywhere

[@nicholasharris3492]

@widhbnw efDwdwDW South-Western / Cornish

[@feukmagasine5958]

Irish

[@statosphereonline2008]

@@feukmagasine5958 It is not irish. People from outside of the British Isles often make this mistake. It is Likely West Country. Particularly Devon or Cornwall, if not then Dorset/Somerset drawl.

[@PINTandDALE]

Lovely singing -- but that's not Johnny Collins. Sounds like Dave Webber to me.