Roll the Old Chariot Along
Trad. Sea Chantey
David Coffin at the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival
Lyrics
[Verse]
Oh we'd be all right if the wind was in our sails
Oh we'd be all right if the wind was in our sails
Oh we'd be all right if the wind was in our sails
And we'll all hang on behind
[Chorus]
And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind
[Verse]
Oh we'd be all right if we make it 'round the horn
Oh we'd be all right if we make it 'round the horn
Oh we'd be all right if we make it 'round the horn
And we'll all hang on behind
[Chorus]
And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind
[Verse]
Well a drop of Nelson
's blood wouldn't do us any harm
Well a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
Well a drop of Nelson's blood wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind
[Chorus]
And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind
[Verse]
Well a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
Well a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
Oh a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
And we'll all hang on behind
[Chorus]
And we'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
We'll roll the old chariot along
And we'll all hang on behind
About Roll the Old Chariot Along
“Roll the Old Chariot Along” is a traditional 19th-century sea shanty. Sea Shantys were work songs sung by sailors to coordinate physical labor and boost morale during long, demanding voyages.”Roll the old chariot” was likely a “stamp-and-go” shanty, sung while the sailors moved or hauled equipment. Its musical roots include stylistic connections to American hymns and spirituals - namely, the strong rhythm, the emphasis on communal singing, and the call&response structure