Who No Been Out, Don't Come a Bay

DESCRIPTION: Alternate lines are a chorus, "Bear away Yankee bear away." The shantyman sings: "Who no been off no come a bay... If you want, deliver your harpoon... De gun on the blank so len' us a hand... Yankee doodle dandy boy... bear away to Baltimore."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1974 (Abrahams-DeepTheWaterShallowTheShore)
KEYWORDS: work sea shanty whale whaler
FOUND IN: West Indies(St Vincent)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Abrahams-DeepTheWaterShallowTheShore, pp. 105-107, "Who No Been Out, Don't Come a Bay" (1 text, 1 tune)
NOTES [45 words]: Abrahams quotes a blackfish whaler who says that when one of the crew doesn't show up for a day's whaling, "an' when we take fish and come back home, usually sing this shanty 'Who no been out, don't come a bay.' Who hasn't been out don't come now and look for meat." - BS
Last updated in version 4.0
File: AWIS105

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