“Blow Ye Winds in the Morning”

Description

The call is going out for whalermen in New England. The song warns of the conditions the potential recruit will face: Boarding masters, hard times at sea, the dangers of taking the whale. Chorus: "Blow ye winds in the morning, Blow ye winds high-o...."

Notes

Whalers were considered the lowest sort of sailors; most seamen had to be desperate to ship on a whaler. This song perhaps helps explain why. - RBW

Cross references

• cf. "The Coast of Peru" [Laws D26] (floating verses)
• cf. "Peter Gray" (chorus lyrics)

Recordings

• Almanac Singers, "Blow Ye Winds, Heigh Ho" (General 5015A, 1941; on Almanac02, Almanac03, AlmanacCD1)

References

1. Lomax-FSUSA 44, "Blow, Ye Winds in the Morning" (1 text, 1 tune)
2. Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 829-831, "Blow, Ye Winds" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 42-46, "Blow Ye Winds" (1 text, 1 tune)
4. Shay-SeaSongs, pp. 126-128, "Blow, Ye Winds" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. Colcord, pp. 191-192, "Blow, Ye Winds" (2 texts, 1 tune)
6. Harlow, pp. 130-131, 211-213 "Blow Ye Winds in the Morning" "It's Advertised in Boston" (2 texts, 2 tunes -- second version has a different chorus, "Cheer up lively lads, in spite of stormy weather. Cheer up...we'll all get drunk together")
7. Hugill, pp. 219-224, "Blow, Ye Winds" (3 texts plus several fragments, 3 tunes) [AbrEd, pp. 168-171]
8. Darling-NAS, pp. 318-319, "Blow Ye Winds" (1 text)
9. Silber-FSWB, p. 85, "Blow Ye Winds In The Morning" (1 text)
10. DT, BLOWYE*
11. Roud #2012
12. BI, LxU044