Shiney-O

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

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

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