Bold Riley
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The origins of this song are somewhat obscure. It first appears in its current form on A.L. Lloyd's 1962 album A Sailor's Garland, where he claims it was a halyard shanty adapted from a "Tobago reel", common on East India Company ships traveling to Bombay and Bengal. He cites no sources for these claims and no further evidence has been discovered to support them. Rather, this version seems to be Lloyd's own innovation on an African American work song from the Georgia Sea Islands, first collected by Robert W. Gordon in the 1920s.[1][2] A 1959 recording of that version can be found here.
Regardless of origin, this version has enjoyed continuous popularity since the 1960s, with recordings from several folk artists. There are a number of common variations on the lyrics and floating verses from other shanties are frequently swapped in and out at various points, so it's rare to find two versions exactly alike.
Factoids
White-stocking day referred to the day where a sailor's family member — usually a wife, mother, or sweetheart — went to the shipping company to draw her allotment of the sailor's half-pay. They would traditionally dress in their best clothes to do so, hence "white stockings" — a mark of a lady of quality in 19th century.[3]
Lyrics
As performed in the video. This version mostly follows the one performed by the Teacups on their 2013 album One For the Pot
Oh, the rain, it raineth all day long
(Bold Riley-o, bold Riley)
And those northern winds are blowin' on strong
(Bold Riley-o has gone away) [continues throughout]
{Chorus}
Goodbye my sweetheart, goodbye my dear-o
Goodbye my darlin', goodbye my dear-o
Oh, the anchor's aweigh and the sails are set
And them Liverpool judies we'll ne'er forget
{Chorus}
We're outward bound for the Bengal Bay
Get crackin' me lads, it's a bloody long way
{Chorus}
Cheer up, Mary Ellen, don't you look so glum
Come white-stocking day, we'll be drinking hot rum
{Chorus 2x}