“Yea Ho, Little Fish”

Description

From the sailor to the fish: "Yea ho, little fish, don't cry, don't cry; Yea ho, little fish, you'll be a whale by and by." The singer talks of the voyage, of how the fish try to avoid capture, and of the love whose picture is "tattooed all over my chest"

Notes

Meredith and Anderson claim that this song is probably Portugese; their only basis for this, however, is the vague recollection of one of their informants. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "Song of the Fishes (Blow Ye Winds Westerly)" (floating lyrics)

Recordings

• Pete Seeger, "Farewell, Little Fishes" (on PeteSeeger30)

References

1. Meredith/Anderson, pp. 119-120, 133, "The Little Fish" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
2. Manifold-PASB, p. 5, "The Little Fish" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. DT, YEAFISH
4. Roud #5477
5. BI, MA119