Blow the Man Down

Oh blow the man down bullies, Blow the man down, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down,

Oh, Blow the man down bullies, Blow him away, Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

As I was a-walking down Paradise Street, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

A pretty young damsel I chanced for to meet, Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

She hailed me with her flipper; I took her in tow, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

Yard-arm to yard-arm away we did go, give me some time to blow the man down.

 

She was round in the counter and bluff in the bow, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

So I took in all sail and cried "Way enough now." Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

I hailed her in English, she answered me clear, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

I'm from the Black Arrow bound to the Shakespeare, give me some time to blow the man down.

 

But as we were going she said unto me, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

There's a spanking full-rigger just ready for sea." Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

That spanking full-rigger to New York was bound To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

She was very well manned and very well found. Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

As soon as that Packet was clear of the bar, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

The mate knocked me down with the end of a spar, give me some time to blow the man down.

 

Its yard-arm to yard-arm away you will sprawl, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

For kicking Jack Rogers commands the Black Ball Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

And as soon as that packet was out on the sea, To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

`Twas devilish hard treatment of every degree. Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

So, I give you fair warning before we belay; To me way! hey! - Blow the man down!

Don't never take heed of what pretty girls say. Give me some time to blow the man down.

 

*Paradise Street is a street in Liverpool, England that was frequented by sailors whose ships had docked at

the port. A traditional explanation of its origins is that the Black Ballers were fast packet ships of the

American Black Ball Line that sailed between New York and Liverpool towards the end of the 19th century.

Sailors were regularly beaten on these ships and being "blown down" was a man on the deck floor as a result.

Edited from www.wikipedia.org Note: The previous note was from Wikipedia in 2019. If you look up the

origins of the song now (2022), it tells a much different (less violent) story, which is not consistent with the

lyrics of the song.