Posted by Jock on December 20, 2003 at 12:04:14 from 81.128.232.149 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Hanging Johnny posted by Peter H on December 14, 2003 at 16:34:02:
"What are the origins of this song? Is there some sort of historical event that this "ballad" is referring to?"
This is no sweet ballad but a very popular hauling shanty which could be extended (by adding more people) to whatever length of time a particular haul required. The words of many shanties as handed down in printed editions can vary considerably from the versions - often bawdy - actually sung at sea. At the age of 6 or 7 we were taught a bowdlerised version of 'The Maid of Amsterdam' which made no sense at all! Stan Hughill in 'Shanties from the Seven Seas' speculates, "Was 'Hanging Johnny' the noted eighteen-centuary hangman Jack Ketch, as some suggest?" As a young child I always assumed that this song was about a particular nasty person.