According to A. L. Lloyd, Stormalong was "the blusterous old skipper who stands his ground alongside Davy Jones and Mother Carey among the mythological personages of the sea. Some took him to be an embodiment of the wind, others believed he was a natural man..." Shay, in his American Sea Songs and Chanteys (1948), tells of a legend of the time Old Stormalong was quartermaster of the Courser, the world's largest clipper. 'Stormy was taking his vessel from the North Sea through the English Channel, which was just six inches narrower than the Courser's beam. He suggested that if the captain sent all hands over to plaster the ship's side with soap he thought he could ease her through. It was a tight passage but the ship made it, the Dover cliffs scraping all the soap off the starboard side. Ever since, the cliffs at that point have been pure white and recent observers say the waves there are still foamy from the Courser's soap.’
Stormalong
O, Stormy's gone, that good old man,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
O, poor old Stormy's dead and gone,
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
We dug his grave with a silver spade,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
His shroud of the finest silk was made.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
We lowered him with a silver chain,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
Our eyes all dim with more than rain.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
An able sailor, bold and true,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
A good old bosun to his crew.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
He's moored at last, and furled his sail,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
No danger now from wreck or gale.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
I wish I was old Stormy's son,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
I'd build me a ship of a thousand ton.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
I'd fill her up with New England rum,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
And all my shellbacks they would have some.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
I'd sail this wide world 'round and 'round,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
With plenty of money I would be found.
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
Old Stormy's dead and gone to rest,
To my way hay, Stormalong, John!
Of all the sailors he was the best,
To my aye, aye, aye, aye, Mister Stormalong!
