Outward and Homeward Bound

DESCRIPTION: Shanty. Verses enumerate the ports to be visited and the girls being left behind. The singer says the purser will supply their needs, and looks forward to returning home after (three) years. Chorus: "We're outward bound, Hurrah, we're outward bound."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1863 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 11(1565))
KEYWORDS: shanty farewell travel floatingverses
FOUND IN: Britain(England(Lond,South)) US(NE)
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 88, "When We Are Homeward Bound" (1 text)
Harlow-ChantyingAboardAmericanShips, pp. 136-139, "Outward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, p. 175, "Homeward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune, probably this although it seems to have picked up much floating material and the editors changed the tune)
Hugill-ShantiesFromTheSevenSeas, pp. 541-543, "Outward and Homeward Bound" (2 texts, 2 tunes) [AbEd, pp. 387-389]
Hugill-SongsOfTheSea, p. 37, "Outward and Homeward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune)
Shay-AmericanSeaSongsAndChanteys, pp. 147-148, "Homeward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-FolkSongsCollectedBy-Ralph-VaughanWilliams, #65, "Homeward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune)
Stone-SeaSongsAndBallads XVIII, pp. 29-30, "Homeward Bound" (1 text, probably this although it alternates an "outward bound" and a "homeward bound" chorus)
Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs 88, "Homeward Bound" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #927 and 18905
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(1565), "Homeward Bound" ("Now to Blackwall docks we bid adieu"), H. Such (London), 1849-1862; also Firth c.12(159), "Outward Bound"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Get Up, Jack! John, Sit Down!" (lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Homeward Bound
NOTES [82 words]: Most if not all versions of this share a verse with "Get Up, Jack! John, Sit Down!"; at one time I lumped Shay's version with that song. We've now split them, but it seems clear there is some sort of borrowing going on. Given that "Get Up, Jack! John, Sit Down!" is apparently a composed song, the best bet may be that that is a rewrite of this.
Roud gives this two numbers, 927 and 18905, but I can't see the distinguishing feature; the whole family is an incredible mess of composites. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.4
File: Hugi541

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