A corruption from a sailor's "growl"- short work, perhaps stamp-and-go. -GB Stan Hugill, who first printed this in his excellent book, Shanties From the Seven Seas, describes this as a halyard shanty. He learned it from a West Indian sailor named Harding who "sang it with many wild yelps and 'hitches'."-Editor
Where am I to go, me Johnnies,
Where am I to go?
Gimme way, hey, hey,
Hey, the roll and go.
Where am I to go, me Johnnies,
Where am I to go?
I'm a young and sailor lad
And where am I to go?
Way out on that tops'l yard,
That's where you're bound to go,
Gimme way, hey, hey,
Hey the roll and go;
Way out on that iops'l yard
And take that tops'l in,
And I'm a young and sailor lad
And where amt to go?
Way out on that royal yard
That's where you're bound to go,
Gimme way, hey, hey,
Hey the roll and go;
Way out on that royal yard
That royal for to stow,
I'm a young and sailor lad
And Where am I to go?
You're bound away around Cape Horn,
That's where you're bound to go
Gimme way, hey, hey, '
Hey the roll and go,
You're bound away around Cape Horn
All in the ice and snow,
And I'm a young and sailor lad,
Where am I to go?