Eliza Lee

A capstan shanty dating to the mid-19th century and found under several names, this song has been performed by countless folk singers. It appears as the second track on Written in Salt, and has been performed by The Longest Johns in a YouTube video as well as several livestreams.

Factoids

The song pays homage to the Margaret Evans, an American packet ship built by Westervelt & MacKay of New York in 1846 that sailed passengers and cargo to New York from London, Liverpool and other British ports. The ship was severely damaged in 1865 while at anchor in New York when the steamer Bridgeport collided with it, and was subsequently decommissioned.

The Blue Star Line was a British passenger and cargo shipping company, but the reference here is anachronistic, as it was not founded until 1911, several decades after the Margaret Evans' demise. Other versions variously reference the Black Ball, Black Cross, and Blue Cross Lines, and some name other ships entirely.

Bullgine was slang for a steam engine; though most commonly used for trains, it was also used aboard steam ships. In this case, it may be referring to a small locomotive which was used to haul ships through locks and canals. Alternatively, it may be evidence that the chorus was borrowed from railway work songs (a theory further bolstered by the "clear away the track" and "jaunting car" lines).

Jaunting car: a two-wheeled buggy pulled by a horse; in this context it could be another hold-over from railway terminology, although older versions of the song use the phrase "low-back[ed] car" instead, which would make less sense in a railroad context.

Lyrics

These lyrics are based on the version performed by the Longest Johns on Written in Salt; too many variations of the song exist to identify an "original."

Oh the finest ship that you will find is
(Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?)
She's the Margaret Evans of the Blue Star Line
(Clear away the track and let the bullgine run!)

{Chorus}
To me hey rig-a-jig in a jaunting car
Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done
With 'liza Lee all on my knee
Clear away the track an' let the bullgine run

O, we're outward bound for the West Street Pier
(Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?)
With Galway Shale and Liverpool beer
(Clear away the track and let the bullgine run!)

{Chorus}

And when we're out in New York Town
(Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?)
We'll dance those Bowery girls around
(Clear away the track and let the bullgine run!)

{Chorus}

Oh! the Margaret Evans of the Blue Star Line
(Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?)
She's never a day behind her time
(Clear away the track and let the bullgine run!)

{Chorus}

And when we're back in Liverpool town
(Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?)
I'll stand ya's whiskeys all around (hey!)
(Clear away the track and let the bullgine run!)

{Chorus til Finish}

Recordings

Streaming/Purchase

YouTube Videos

Gig Videos

Full Band Streams

Chill Streams

Gaming Streams