> Folk Music > Songs > Heave Away Cheerily O! / Away to the South’ard We Go

Heave Away Cheerily O! / Away to the South’ard We Go

[ Roud 932 ; Ballad Index Hugi310 ; trad.]

Granny’s Attic sang Away to the South’ard in 2016 on their WildGoose album Off the Land. They noted:

We came across this in Stan Hugill’s incomparable book Shanties From the Seven Seas. Hugill gives two sources for it: Davis & Tozer, and Harlow, suggesting that it was written by the former. It was well established as a capstan shanty by the early twentieth century. Some of the verses given in Hugill’s book were slightly questionable, so we added a few floating verses from other shanties.

The word ‘cheerily’ means ‘quickly’, rather than ‘happily’. We’re not sure why anyone would want to go down South as quickly as possible, but we’re certain that they wouldn’t be happy about it… But what do we know, we’re just Midlanders.

This video shows them perform Away to the South’ard live at Edge Studios in December 2020:

Lyrics

Heave Away Cheerily O! in Hugill, Shanties From the Seven Seas, p.232; from Davis & Tozer: Sailors’ Songs or Chanties

Oh, the wind is free, an’ we’re bound for the sea,
    Heave away cheeri-lye o-ho!
The lassies are wavin’ to you an’ to me,
    As off to the South’ard we go-o,
    As off to the South’ard we go!

Chorus (after each verse):
Sing, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave away cheeri-lye o-ho!
For the gold that we prize an’ for sunnier skies,
Away to the south’ard we go!

They’re shoutin’ goodbye, an’ the gals they do cry,
    Heave away cheeri-lye o-ho!
So sing up, me darlin’s, an’ wipe yer tears dry,
    As off to the South’ard we go-o,
    As off to the South’ard we go!

They’re cryin’, “Come back, my dear John an’ dear Jack,
There’s water in front an’ no door at the back.”

But we’re Johnnies bold who can work for our gold,
An’ stand a good dousin’ wi’out catchin’ cold.

The gals to the south’ard are bully an’ fine,
When we gits to Melbourne we’ll have a good time.

A John he is true to his Sal an’ his Sue,
So long as he’s able to keep ’em in view.

We’ll heave her up, bullies, an’ run her away,
We’ll soon be a-headin’ out on a long lay.

Heave Away Cheerily O! in Hugill, Shanties From the Seven Seas; from Harlow, The Making of a Sailor

Verses 1 and 2 and chorus as above, then:

They’re crying, “Come back, my dear sailor in blue,
For no one can fill the place vacant by you.”

They love us for money, whoever he be,
But when it’s all gone we are shanghaied to sea.

Then sing, “Goodbye, Sally, your wonders I’ll tell,
But when with another, I’ll wish you in hell.”

Granny’s Attic sing Away to the South’ard

Oh, the wind is free, an’ we’re bound for the sea,
    Heave away cheeri-lye o-ho!
Oh, the lassies are wavin’ to you an’ to me,
    As off to the South’ard we’ll go-o,
    As off to the South’ard we’ll go!

And they’re cryin’, “Come back, my dear John an’ dear Jack,
For there’s water at front an’ there’s no door at back.”

Chorus (after every other verse):
Sing, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave away cheeri-lye o!
For the gold that we prize an’ for sunnier skies,
Away to the south’ard we’ll go!

We’ll soon be a-driving her out to the docks,
It’s where all the young pretty girls come in their flocks.

Then it’s one to the other them flash girls do say,
“Just wait till he’s back with his forty-month’s pay.”

We’ll roust her up bully, the wind’s drawing free,
Let’s get on that gladrags and drive her to sea.