General Taylor gained the day Ch: Walk him a-long, Johnny, carry him a-long General Taylor gained the day Ch: Carry him to the burying ground Oo... oo... oo.. oo.. You stormy, walk him along Johnny, carry him along. Oo.. oo.. oo you stormy, carry him to the burying ground Dan O'Connell died long ago; Ch: Walk him a-long, Johnny, carry him a-long Dan O'Connell died long ago. Ch: Carry him to the burying ground

General Taylor’s “gaining of the day” is a reference to his victory over Santa Anna at the Battle of Buena Vista (February 22-23, 1847), where General Zachary Taylor’s outnumbered American forces defeated Santa Anna’s Mexican army in one of the decisive engagements of the Mexican-American War. Taylor’s fame from the victory propelled him to the presidency in 1848.

Dan O’Connell seems to refer to Daniel O’Connell (died 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as “The Liberator,” the acknowledged political leader of Ireland’s Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century.

Although Buena Vista was a land battle fought in the mountains of northern Mexico, Taylor became such a celebrated figure that his name quickly found its way into the repertoire of working sailors. Shantymen routinely drew on current events and popular heroes for their songs, and a victory as famous as Taylor’s would have been known in every port. Like Santy Anna, this shanty reflects the way news of the wider world filtered into shipboard life.