Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her (lyrics)
This song dates back to the late 19th century. Although there are several variations with different lyrics, the basic idea of the song remains the same: The end of the voyage has come, and it’s time for Johnny to leave the ship (her). As folklore has it, this song would traditionally have been sung on the last day of the voyage as the pump boy (in this case, Johnny) was pumping out the water that had leaked into the ship. The crew would use the song (and change it up as needed) to express their frustrations against the captain or others; they were not allowed to speak ill, but they could slip insults into song, which also provided a means of camaraderie amongst the crew.
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