LL-L "Songs" 2010.05.13 (02) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 13 May 2010 - Volume 02
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>

Subject: LL-L "Songs"



Lowlanders,

I've been wondering about the calypso song "Nassau Bound" (aka "Sloop
John B."). A book of folk songs I have (which lists it as a "Sea Shanty"
but this doesn't seem right to me) has part of it written like this:

Sheriff Johnstone,
Please leave me alone...

To rhyme this successfully you obviously have to sing:

Sheriff John Stone,
Please leave me alone...

I have three theories:

1. The name of the sheriff really was supposed to be "John Stone" (but
this seems much less likely than "Johnstone");

2. In the dialect of English being used, "Johnstone" really is
pronounced "John Stone".

3. The song was originally ad libbed (as is traditional in calypso), so
that the poor rhyme arose from the singer having to think on his feet,
and has stuck.

I favour the third theory, what do others think?

If you think it's the second theory, then what would the dialect be?

If you think it's the first, then what historical references might
support it?

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/



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