‘Bully in the Ally’ is a traditional sea shanty with origins likely linked to the West Indies or the American South, specifically among dockworkers and sailors . It’s a halyard shanty, meaning it was sung to coordinate work on the ship’s ropes, and its lyrics often tell stories of sailors ashore, sometimes involving drinking and getting left behind. The term “bully” in this context likely refers to someone who is drunk or incapacitated, while “Shinbone Alley” was a real place in some ports, possibly a street known for its brothels.
[chorus]
So, help me, Bob, I’m bully in the alley
Way, hey, bully in the alley
Help me, Bob, I’m bully in the alley
Bully down in Shinbone Al’
Well, Sally is the girl that I love dearly
Way, hey, bully in the alley
Sally is the girl that I’d splice nearly
Bully down in Shinbone Al’
[chorus]
For seven long years I courted Sally
Way, hey, bully in the alley
All she did was dilly-dally
Way, hey, bully in the alley
I bought her silks, I bought her laces
Way, hey, bully in the alley
I took her out to all the fine places
Way, hey, bully in the alley
[chorus]
Well, I’ll leave Sal and I−ll be a sailor
Way, hey, bully in the alley
I’ll leave Sal and ship aboard a whaler
Way, hey, bully in the alley
When I get back I’ll marry Sally
Way, hey, bully in the alley
We’ll have kids and count them by the tally
[chorus]