Rolling Home

According to Hugill it was "the most famous homeward-bound shanty of all," and was popular in both English and American Ships. It is believed the shanty is based on a poem by Charles Mackay, written on board ship in 1858, but Hugill speculates that Mackay could have heard the sailors at the capstan and based his poem on the original shanty.
Many collectors state the song was a forecastle song, rather than a shanty, but there are several shanty versions and Whall cites several sources which confirm it was used as a capstan shanty.

Some versions begin with "pipe all hands." The pipe was not generally used on merchant ships.

There are also Irish versions that roll home to "Dear Old Ireland."

Burl Ives gives only three verses. Others can be found at Digital Tradition (Mirror of the original)., by doing a search for Rolling Home.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Skean
• Dubh
• Celtic
• Scottish
• Irish
• Uilleann
• Fiddle
• Phillip
• Douglas

[Phyllypd]

Thanks John!

[sejemaset]

my history teacher in school had an irish version of this song on cd and i have been unable to find ever since i graduated

[saintmirrenmalky]

Fabulous.

[john42g]

Amazing!