La Pique

This song goes by many names, and shares a tune with a contemporary song called "The Bachelor". The earliest textual record of the song dates to 1863, but the ships named in the various versions of the song make it difficult to trace which was first. The tune is "Derry Down", which circulated dance halls in the mid 19th century.

The first TLJ version appeared on Andy's solo livestreams as a jazzy ukulele rendition, but a more straightforward shanty version was released on 7 March 2025 as part of the Horizon collection from Pieces of Eight.

Factoids

There have been three ships in the British Navy called HMS Pique; the most likely referent (for at least one version of the song) is the second of the three, which was taken from the French in 1800 and sailed until 1819.^[1] According to Christopher Shay, Pique was known as a "blood ship" for the harsh discipline on board.^[2]

Another possibility is the third HMS Pique, launched in 1834 and in service for three quarters of a century. In one notable incident, the ship ran aground in at storm in the Belle Isle Straits on the coast of Canada. She was refloated and made the journey back across the Atlantic, rudderless and leaking badly, to Portsmouth, where it was discovered that a large rock had punctured the hull and been carried across the Atlantic with it. The stone is on display in a historic dockyard in Portsmouth to this day.^[3]

Robert B. Waltz notes that many versions of the song "do not give the ship's name — some, indeed, explicitly say the name is secret."^[4] It is unclear which version came first, and the song has been altered to reference several ships over the years.^[5]

The 'tween-decks (literally, between decks) and cockpit referred to the lower decks of a ship; the cockpit specifically was usually on the lowest deck and housed the junior officers' quarters and ship's surgeon.^[6]^[7]

Flash here is slang for "showy" or "fancy".^[8]

Holystone was a type of soft sandstone used to scrub the decks of a ship.^[9]

Bos'n is short for "boatswain", the officer in charge of equipment and overseeing the crew.^[10]

Yards were the spars (wooden bars) attached to the masts which held the sails.^[11]

Reef means to take in or roll up a sail (in this case the tops'l, or topsail).^[12]

Lay aloft means go up into the upper part of the rigging,^[13] and the topmen were the sailors assigned to tend to those upper sails.^[14]

Hell-um is a stylized pronunciation of "helm", which refers to the tiller or wheel used to move the rudder and steer the ship. "Down the helm" meant turn the rudder toward the windward side of the ship.^[15]

Clew down meant to let a sail (in this case, the topsail) down by the clews, or lower corners, to unfurl it.^[16]

Lyrics

As performed on the album.

It's of a flash frigate, La Pique was her name
All in the West Indies she bore a great fame
For cruel bad usage of every degree
Like slaves in the galley we plowed the salt sea

{Chorus}
Derry down
Down, down, derry down
Down, down, derry down

{Chorus}

Now at four in the morning our work does begin
In our 'tween decks and cock-pit a bucket might swim
Our main and top foremen so loudly do bawl
For sand and for holystone both great and small

{Chorus}

Our decks being washed down and swabbed up quite dry
It's "lash up your hammocks" our bos'n does cry
Seven turns with a lashing so neatly must show
And all of one size through a loop they must go

{Chorus}

Now, Mister McKeever, you knows him quite well
He comes up on deck and he cuts a great swell
"It's up on them yards boys, or goddamn your eyes,
I've a pump handle here that'll soon trim your size!"

{Chorus}

And now, me brave boys, comes the best of the fun
It's hands about ship and reef tops'ls in one
It's lay aloft, topmen, and the hell-um goes down
And clew down your tops'ls as the mainyard comes 'round

{Chorus}

Now, your quids of tobacco, I'd have you to mind
If you spits upon deck it's your death warrant signed
If you spits over bow, over gangway, or stern
You're sure of three dozen to help you to learn

{Chorus}

So now, brother sailors, wherever you be
From all fancy frigates I'd have you keep free
For they'll haze you and work you 'til you ain't worth a damn
And send you half dead to your dear native land

{Chorus}

Down, down, derry down
Down, down, derry down

Recordings

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Factoids

Lyrics

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