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Mainsail Café / Songs / The Keel Row

The Keel Row

(We'll May the Keel Row)

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Notes:

"keels" = large boats that carried the coal from the banks of the Tyne to the waiting collier ships

"leish" = athletic

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As I came thro' Sandgate,
Thro' Sandgate, thro' Sandgate
As I came thro' Sandgate,
I heard a lassie sing:

Weel may the keel row,
The keel row, the keel row
Weel may the keel row
That my laddie's in.

Oh, wha's like my Johnnie,
Sae leish, sae blithe, sae bonny?
He's foremost 'mang the
Mony keel lads o' coaly Tyne.

Chorus

He'll set and row sae tightly,
Or in the dance sae sprightly
He'll cut and shuffle sightly
'tis true - were he not mine.

Chorus

He wears a blue bonnet,
Blue bonnet, blue bonnet
He wears a blue bonnet,
A dimple in his chin

Chorus

Metadata

Roud Index: 3059
DT Index: 7682

Selected recordings:

A Seaman's Garland: Sailors, Ships & Chanteys Vol. 2 Louis Killen

External links:

The Keel Row on Wikipedia

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