All For Me Grog
(The Nobby Hat / My Jolly, Jolly Tin)
Songs and Ballads From Nova Scotia, Helen Creighton, 1932
Folksongs of Britain and Ireland, Peter Kennedy, 1984
Here's to the grog, boys, the jolly, jolly grog Here's to the rum and tobacco I've a-spent all my tin with the lassies drinking gin And to cross the briny ocean I must wanderI've got me breeches, me nobby, nobby breeches I've got breeches a-seen a lot of rough weather For the pouch is near wore out and the seat's all flying about And me knees are looking out for better weather I've got a shirt and a nobby, nobby shirt I've got a shirt a-seen a lot of rough weather For the collar's near wore out and the sleeves are flying about And me tail's looking out for better weather I've got me boots, me nobby, nobby boots I've got boots a-seen a lot of rough weather For the bottoms' near wore out and the heels flying about And me toes are looking out for better weather I've got a tile, a nobby, nobby tile I've got a tile a-seen a lot of rough weather For the brim it is wore out and the brown is flying about And the lining's looking out for better weather
Wandering Whistler version
All for me grog, me jolly jolly grog It's all for me beer and tobacco For I spent all me tin with the lassies drinking gin Far across the western ocean I must wander.Where is me shirt, my noggin', noggin' shirt? It's all gone for beer and tobacco For the collar is all worn, and the sleeves they are all torn And the tail is looking out for better weather. Where is me wife, me noggin', noggin' wife? She's all gone for beer and tobacco Well her front it got worn out, and her tail end knocked about And her arse is looking out for better weather. Where is me bed, me noggin' noggin bed? It's all gone for beer and tobacco Well I lent it to a whore and now the sheets are all tore And the springs are hanging out for better weather. I'm sick in the head and I haven't been to bed Since first I came ashore with me slumber For I spent all me dough on the lassies don't you know Far across the western ocean I must wander.
All for my Grog is a traditional folk song popular aboard ships and within pubs. It tells the tale of a man who sells all he can for alcohol and tobacco, leaving him with only the most decrepit belongings. The title of this song is often given as some variant of “Across the Western Ocean” due to the chorus, but the melody is distinct from Across the Western Ocean.
Grog originally referred to the daily ration of rum, sometimes watered down, afforded to sailors in the Royal Navy. It has since taken to mean any variety of alcoholic beverage, especially in sailing contexts.
The earliest written records of this song are in manuscripts collected by Cecil Sharp (1904) and Gardiner (1906). Peter Kennedy’s version was taken from the singing of Bill and Harry Westaway of Belstone in 1950. Helen Creighton, in Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia (1932), records of her version:
It is quite possible that this song was composed for music-hall entertainment by one who had knowledge of the sea. The chorus has probably been borrowed from a genuine sea song. Both in words and music this is faintly suggestive of The Little Old Shanty, and is sung to the same air as the verse. Lomax (Cowboy Songs), pp. 187, 189, which in its turn is a parody of The Little old Log Cabin In the Lane.
The Dubliners version reached No. 10 on the Irish charts in 1967.
A tile in the Kennedy version is a hat.