Essequibo River

Stan Hugill says this is a halyard shanty of West Indian or Guiana origin “and needed a Negro shantymen to do it justice, having its full compliment of yells and hitches”. He says it was probably used ashore for jobs where pulling was needed, like many West Indian shanties, and was later taken to sea by black seamen shipping aboard Yankee or British ships.

Essequibo River 


Oh the Essequibo River
is the king of rivers all
Oh the Essequibo River
is the king of rivers all

Somebody oh Johnny Somebody oh
Buddy ta na na we are somebody oh
Somebody oh Johnny, somebody oh
Buddy ta na na we are somebody oh
 
The Essequibo bo’sun
is the king of bo’suns all
 
The Essequibo sailor
is the king of sailors all
 
The Essequibo captain
is the king of captains all
 
The Essequibo Judy
is the queen of Judies all
 
The Essequibo River
is the king of rivers all