Roll and Go (I)

DESCRIPTION: Capstan shanty. "O Sally Brown she promised me, a long time ago. She promised for to marry me, Way-ay roll and go." Combination of "Sally Brown" and "A Long Time Ago" with an entirely different tune.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Sharp-EnglishFolkChanteys)
KEYWORDS: shanty sailor courting parting
FOUND IN: Britain
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas, p. 167, "Roll and Go" (1 text, 1 tune -- quoted from Sharp-EnglishFolkChanteys) [AbEd, p. 134]
Sharp-EnglishFolkChanteys, X, p. 12, "Roll and Go" (1 text, 1 tune)
Kinsey-SongsOfTheSea, p. 107, "Roll and Go" (1 text, 1 tune, presumably this since it omits any mention of Sally Brown)

Roud #2628
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "A Long Time Ago" (refrain)
cf. "Sally Brown" (verses)
NOTES [73 words]: Sharp seems to be the only source for this. Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas classed it as separate from it relatives ("Sally Brown" and "Long Time Ago") though if it had to be declared one or the other, I'd put it with "Sally Brown" as they are both usually used as capstan shanties. - SL
Roud agrees; he lumps it with "Sally Brown."
Kinsey-SongsOfTheSea's version is unusual; it doesn't mention Sally and is listed as a hauling shanty. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.1
File: Hugi167A

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