My Johnny Was a Shoemaker 


Here's the old song about the boy who has gone off to sea but promises to come home and marry the girl.  She certainly seems certain about this in the song.  Because of this certainly, I choose to sing this song with a little more fight and intensity in the rhythm.  My first introduction to teh song was the Steeleye Span version which can beard here.  I have performed this song with 2 other women.  We adjusted the meaning of the song to be a cat-fight between the three of us over Johnny who had foolishly give us all identical necklaces.  This recorded version adds Michelle Levy's energetic fiddle accompaniment.  


My Johnny was a shoemaker and dearly he loved me

My Johnny was a shoemaker, but now he's gone to sea

For to reive the topsails up against the mast

and to sail across the sea, stormy sea

And sail across the stormy sea.

 

His Jacket was a deep sky blue and curly was his hair

His jacket was a deep sky blue, it was I do declare

With pitch and tar to soil his hands

and to sail across the sea, stormy sea

And sail across the stormy sea

 

Some day he'll be a captain bold with a brave and gallant crew

Some day he'll be a captain bold with a sword and spyglass too

And when he has a gallant captain's sword

He'll come home and marry me, marry me

He'll come home and marry

He'll come home and marry me


Please email Abby at info@abbygreen.com.