Ranzo Rae

as led by Barry Finn on Fathom This © 2007
Barry Finn and Neil Downey

I'm bound away to leave ye, I never will deceive ye,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
I'm bound away to please ye, my half-pay I will leave ye.
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We're bound for Yokahama an' our cargo's grand pianos,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
We're bound for Buenos Aires with a bunch o' green canaries,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We're bound for Valparisor with a load of rusty razors,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
We're bound for Venezuela with a crew of drunken tailors,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We're loaded down with curios from the China an' the Indigoes,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
We're bound for Santiana an' our cargo's German lager,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We're outward bound from Rio, loaded down with stinking guano,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
We're going past Gibraltar an' our cargo's bricks an' mortar,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We're headed into London with a load of soggy cotton,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
We're past the cliffs of Dover, an' we'll soon be in the clover,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

We've sailed the oceans over like a proper deep sea rover,
Oh, Ranzo, Ranzo, hurray, hurray!
The next time that I meet ye, with kisses I will greet ye,
Hilo, my Ranzo Rae!

Barry first heard this halyard shanty sung by Dick Holdstock and Alan MacLeod and later learned if off their CD Deep Water Shanties. Hugill has this as Afro American in origin.