When time to put up or change the sails on the big ships, the sailors swarmed up rope ladders hung for the purpose, and shimmied out the yardarms, untying the ropes holding the sails in place, letting them unfurl. Then they quickly came back down to deck; some of them, by the same rope ladders they went up. But if you were a real salt, you slid down one of the "backstays", the heavily tarred ropes that held the masts in place.I have used a different chorus and slightly different words than the one given by Stan Hugill. This is closer to the version I hear at chantey sings here in Seattle, when nobody's actually hauling up any braces.
CHORUS:
Hey, haul away! Johnny come down the backstay!
Hey, haul away! John Dameray!
- Around Cape Horn we did go,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- Through wind and rain and icy snow.
- John Dameray!
CHORUS
- Around Cape Horn we did go,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- Hoist her up from down below.
- John Dameray!
CHORUS
- Shake her, shake her as she rolls,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- For Johhny is a bully old soul.
- John Dameray!
CHORUS
- Now it's time for our smoko,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- The old man he's gone loco.
- John Dameray!
CHORUS
- When I get me feet ashore,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- Off to sea I'll go no more.
- John Dameray!
CHORUS
- From the sea I will stear clear,
- Johnny come down the backstay!
- And I'll stick to drinking beer.
- John Dameray!