The sea shanty “Shiney-O” was collected in 1886 by James Taft Hatfield from a black crew aboard the barque Ahkera on a voyage from Pensacola to Nice, France.The song’s title likely refers to the sweat, or “shiny-o,” on the sailors’ bodies as they worked the pumps. The shanty is considered unique for its distinct West Indies melody
Captain, captain, you are a dandy
Way-ay-ay-ay, shiny-o
Captain, captain, you love your brandy
Way-ay-ay-ay, shiny-o
Won’t you ferry me over to Dover
Won’t you ferry me over to Dover
Queenstown to Dover’s a hundred miles or over
Queenstown to Dover’s a hundred miles or over
Captain, captain, how deep is the water?
I reckon it’s an inch, a sixteenth and a quarter
Captain, captain, I love your daughter
Captain, captain, I love your daughter
Shiny-o is the captain’s daughter
For her I’m sailing across this water
Rivers, rivers, rivers are a-rolling
Rivers are a-rolling and I can’t get over
Captain, captain, you are a dandy
Captain, captain, you love your brandy