Johnny Collins (born May 10, 1938, died July 6 2009) was a London-based fo… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Collins (born May 10, 1938, died July 6 2009) was a London-based folk singer specializing in traditional shanties and maritime music. Joined the British Army in 1956, where he learned to play the guitar while posted in London. Was posted to Singapore in 1959 where he began performing in bars and cabarets in his off hours. Was posted to Hong Kong in 1965 where he began performing large concerts with other folk performers in the British and U.S. military. He also performed on television and radio (including the "Voice of America in East Asia") and played venues like the Hong Kong Hilton. In 1967 he was posted again to Singapore where he began his own folk club at the Anophel Inn. Tom Lewis and Pam Ayres performed there, among others. He was demobilized in 1968, and he began to perform full-time.

In 1983 he and Jim Mageean, performing as a duo, won the Intervision Song Contest in Rostock, in East Germany. Later, in 1987, they were invited by the East German government to perform at a sea shanty festival in Berlin commemorating the city's founding. Although recent heath problems have slowed him down, Collins continues to tour and perform worldwide including in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and France as well as making frequent appearances in his native country at Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races, and maritime festivals at Hull, Lancaster, Bristol, Dundee, Maldon, Portsmouth, Gosport, Greenwich and Chatham.

Partial discography

* Traveller's Rest (1973)
* Johnny's Private Army (1975)
* Make the Rafters Roar (1979) with Jim Mageean
* Free and Easy (1982)
* Live at Herga! (1982) with Jim Mageean
* Strontrace (1983) with Jim Mageean
* Pedlar of Songs (1993)
* Coming of Age (1996)
* Shanties and Sea Songs (1996)
* Now & Then

The Leaf
Johnny Collins Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'The Leaf' by these artists:

Mind-Ashes You are destroying all you see And whole your greed is…
The Sea and Cake I'm waiting, on these over sights. Telling secrets about it…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Johnny Collins:

Leave Her Johnny oh the work was hard and the wages low. Leave ger Johnny,…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

walkingacross

3y↑47

Lyrics:

Oh the work was hard, and the wages low
Leave her Johnny, leave her
I guess it’s time for us to go
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

Oh I thought I heard the old man say
Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh tomorrow you will get your pay
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

The winds blew foul, and the seas ran high
Leave her Johnny, leave her
We shipped up green, and none went by
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

The mate was a bucko, and the old man a Turk
Leave her Johnny, leave her
And the bosun was a beggar, with the middle name of work
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

The old man swears, and the mate swears too
Leave her Johnny, leave her
The crew all swear, and so would you
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

The starboard pump is like the crew
Leave her Johnny, leave her
It’s all worn out, and will not do
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

The rats are gone, and we the crew
Leave her Johnny, leave her
It’s time, be dammed, that we went too
And it’s time for us to leave her

Well I pray that we shall ne’er more see
Leave her Johnny, leave her
A hungry ship, the likes of she
And it’s time for us to leave her

Leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her
Oh the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow
And it’s time for us to leave her

All comments from YouTube:

Euterpe

3y↑21

Check out my latest video:
https://youtu.be/Usp22oK_-3M

Ezekiel Anderson

3y↑2

Pro tip: watch movies at kaldrostream. Been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.

Landen Yousef

3y↑1

@Ezekiel Anderson Yup, I have been watching on flixzone} for since november myself :)

Shadophaxx

2y↑53

When my friend died we sang this at his funeral. I come back here sometimes to remember him. I owe a lot to him and I hope he's happier now

Izzy T

1y↑4

He is. I'm sure of it

Mike Yates

46w↑2

I'm sure he is , mate - RIP to your friend 🙏

Quintin J

42w↑3

“For our souls in the ocean, forever they’ll be” - from another sea shanty, Bones in the Ocean

CurrentlyCrane

3y↑477

I don't know how the internet suddenly became hooked on sea shanties, but I don't think I care why. God speed gentlemen, God speed.

ζ͜͡NovaX Gaming

3y↑9

I play a lot of atlas and I have a veteran ship (a brigantine) she was a trade ship but finally met her match to a fleet of pirates and I played this while the crew crammed into life boats and I went down with the ship playing this

ζ͜͡NovaX Gaming

3y↑8

To the last cannon ball she still took about 10 minutes to take down lol she was a sturdy vessel till the end

Ram & Rem

3y↑1

@ζ͜͡NovaX Gaming how the hell do you play Atlas? That game is the shittiest thing to ever hit the market.

inktended

3y↑3

I see what you did there.

Big Dad Energy

3y↑4

I was getting hooked back in October. I noticed the memes mid-January. It’s almost like it was all perfect timing. I guess 2021 is the year of the sea shanty

23 More Replies...

Double A

4y↑264

I feel so much nostalgia listening to this masterpiece with no reason

Jhonathan Berdugo

3y↑5

Same here!!!

Lucky Stranger

3y↑13

Previous lives, mate

Isaac Gonzales

3y↑6

Did u ever play assassins creed black flag?

Double A

3y↑7

@Isaac Gonzales Yeah, a long time ago. And that game is reason how I found this song. While sailing across the sea crew usually sing sea chants. Once they started singing this I was like "Wow, I heard this before"...

Insert Username Here

3y↑6

Past life

5 More Replies...

Highway at Midnight

4y↑175

This song is sung with great emotion and the lyrics carry weight. You’ve paired it with a beautiful background photo that truly speaks a thousands words itself. It makes me miss the sea that I haven’t been on in over a year... Even more so it makes me long for a time that has come and gone. What a life that must have been back then. Even through all those hardships, those men had true purpose. I often feel I was born in the wrong generation.

TopazPenguin

3y↑14

leave her Kevin leave her.

Highway at Midnight

3y↑1

@TopazPenguin I see what you did there lol

el hornio

Who is johnny

Highway at Midnight

2y↑4

@SMYT-NT haha her is the ship in the context of the song but, I feel you’re questioning me about my own life! Am I right? lol

Parker Winkelman

3y↑131

Simply the best version of this song. Sounds like a real crew singing it!

Davor Bozinovski

3y↑5

This is the only version that sounds good

test

3y↑2

Yeah so true both!!!😁😄😁

Guts

3y↑3

@Davor Bozinovski ? the one from black flag is equally as good

Davor Bozinovski

3y↑1

@Rain i haven't played black flag so i don't know. I have played ac 2, ac 3, ac brotherhood and ac rogue. My laptop is old and it can't run ac 4

Mr.Raijin 1030

3y↑26

Man, this song brings back a lot of feelings... I remember being 13 yrs old, and going across the see on board of the Jackdaw listening to sea shanties in AC Black Flag, just thinking about how wonderful would be to be a brave sailor and live a thousand of adventures.

Jorge Valdes

3y↑56

One of my best friends died 3 months ago and this song just make me remembered him and cried.
I miss you Charlie

naive soul

3y↑2

Stay strong god bless

Christopher Dunstan

3y↑3

My condolences for your loss. He must have been a great mate, few are blessed with those.

A child of God

3y↑109

This is for our captain, captain Johnny depp ❤️ we stand United with you Johnny

Mary Orosco

3y↑6

And walk the plank all who disagree

Strange Scarecrow

3y↑6

Thank you that I'm not the only one who had to think about the Johnny Depp. I thought I was the only one. Only Johnny is the real Captain Jack Sparrow.

JugNess

2y↑1

I can imagine him drinking a mega pint to this . With a great big smile

Massachusetts Train Videos

2y↑1

He won his case

DeusFidelis

2y↑5

Listening to this song awakens something deep within me. As if my Scottish and Irish ancestors are calling out to me to broaden my horizons and embark on a maiden voyage

Dzaki

2y↑3

I lost a dear friend today in an accident. His voyage is done and now may the winds take him home. Rest in peace, brother.

Dione Lozano

3y↑3

Me and my friends sang this when his car finally got it's well deserved rest, the memories in that car was unmatched.

walkingacross

3y↑47

Toxx C.

3y↑11

But this intire vid is the lyrics

Anklos Gaming

3y↑8

@Toxx C. some lyrics are incorrect but it's mostly just in which tense (past, present) it's used in

Wennington Dias

Thx man

Brian Branson

@Anklos Gaming yah its supposed to be she shipped green (meaning sea water) and none went DRY.

Esther The Clown

Can't we all agree this guy is a gigachad

2 More Replies...

Igor Oliveira

2y↑2

was I the only one who got emotional when I heard this again? so nostalgic

Oliver Parsons

3y↑12

So emotional with passion in this song and great song 👍

Killuminati 7

2y↑4

I almost went into "surrendering peacefully into death" mode hearing this, damn

Nils Diehl

3y↑5

Der Song passt recht gut zu Deutschland!... da bekommt man echt Wasser unter die Augen wenn man drüber nachdenkt

Андрей Мельников

3y↑1

Душевно.

Sad Lonely Lex

3y↑38

Eddie Kenway was a great character

Shadow Wolf

2y↑1

Edward, not Eddie.

xXzombie_slayerXx

2y↑1

i salute this to the many men and women that faught for our nation, godspeed

Easy Triops

2y↑8

I just realised something: You know the Jonny depp trial going on right? So this song could have been a message to Jonny. „Leave her jonny, leave her“ I know it sounds absurd but just wanted to say, the lyrics just fit for jonny depp.

{Tsuki Mikoyashi}

3y↑45

Why does this make me feel like the song fit to sing when my dad leaves for work abroad?(my dad is a seaman)

DackxJaniels

3y↑2

Dunno, but it really isn't fitting. The song is about the end of a journey (or a life), so it's not something that would fit someone setting out on a journey.

{Tsuki Mikoyashi}

@DackxJaniels Oh,sorry😅

PoopyAidMan69

@DackxJaniels no it’s about quitting as a pirate

WoorN Flows

3y↑1

@PoopyAidMan69 no actually leaving the ship ,

PoopyAidMan69

@WoorN Flows yeah, sort of the same thing

1 More Replies...

Zay

2y↑2

May your voyages be fruitful and the wind and waves of life carry you home, wherever that might be...

FrishEr

2y↑4

one of my studs, a 5 yr old, brought me here...
: do you know the song am singing?
: no
: listen to it, teacher. leaver her johnny
wheee.... a boy singing a nostalgic song 😄😄😄😊😊😊

Chugington

3y↑4

My heart beating way too hard and fast in pulsations give this song a good beat

4247 Abhishek Chatterjee

3y↑10

That main voice is like some oldest crew member or Patriarch who lived his life fullest on his own, now guiding his mates.

JDogg106

3y↑6

I cried when I heard this song I've heard at my friends eulogy before

Addictive GaMinG

3y↑78

Something about sea shanties they are a legit vibe

FranklinEditzz

3y↑1

You mean assassin's creed black flag

Addictive GaMinG

It’s from black flag but I’m saying sea shanties are a vibe not ac

jwp999999

3y↑2

That's your genetic memory stirring

Farzana Mughal

@jwp999999 That is doubtful

Knigt_rider_999 HD

2y↑2

A good song to sing to Johnny Depp

✨Lil Bunny Foo Foo✨

1y↑1

This song made me feel sad... 😩🥰

Thiago Martins

3y↑58

imagine singing this on sea of thieves while your ship sink

Ajuuran

3y↑3

Or your alone on the ship and you get attacked by a bigger boat with many players and you have to flee with your chest.

inktended

Sing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVkD4lgXTEU instead.

PoopyAidMan69

@inktended I was just listening to that what a coincidence

PoopyAidMan69

@Ajuuran just use a rowboat

Warden

I actaully did it

Me and my friends were new to the game and we got attacked by one of the max ships and we sang this song

1 More Replies...

Icario

3y↑4

Is so beautiful song 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Can you feel my heart

3y↑11

Imagine yourself as a crew of the legendary jackdaw singing these shanties

FranklinEditzz

3y↑2

Assassin's creed black flag for life

Trinquenta

3y↑67

"Hey man im going to sleep now, tommorow we play again, peaceeee"
"Ok bro, see you tommorow"
LAST TIME ONLINE: 04/02/2012

jacqui Canfield

3y↑1

Vigilant of Stendarr

MonMist

ShowNoMercy453

3y↑1

I haven't been on Xbox live in like 8 years. 😂 ( We couldn't afford our Wi-Fi anymore, so I haven't I haven't had Wi-Fi ever since then. )

Sylwek Flasz

Should've been 4/20/2012.

1 More Replies...

Elizabeth Brown

3y↑3

searching for sea shanty lyrics for a local music jam thank you so much for sharing such an illustrious United Kingdom heritage. so beautiful and deeoly meaningful to present n future generations around our coastal shores. God bless all. 🌀🌪️🌊🐳🌐🥁🎵🎶🙏🥀

angga

3y↑3

Nyawaku nyawa anak anakku tdk bisa di tukar dengan nyawamu nyawa keluargamu juga semesta alam raya. Bahkan sejuta Cosmos tdk mampu ditukar dengan waktu tidurku

PossessedFajita

3y↑11

Why can't I find this specific version on Spotify???

Warden

3y↑2

Truueee

Muniz Sims

2y↑1

Congrats Johnny :’)

Trevor Philips

3y↑7

To our Captain of the Jackdaw and Master Assassin Edward Kenway.

Guilherme Almeida

4y↑9

Foda de mais meu parceiro s2

Wendryos Goncalves

Foda demais mano

Defalt 666

4y↑60

To Edward Kenway

Gryfon

3y↑3

The song isn't about a sailor leaving his lover, it's about a crew leaving their wrecked ship

Marisol Martinez

2y↑1

That's so sad

thegorillasnake

3y↑1

I have no sea legs to speak of. I have icthyophobia. I've never been in the navy, or even the merchant marines. The sea is my father's love, not mine. And yet this still makes me tear up.

Ghina Mouse

39w

Don't leave me johnny

Wendryos Goncalves

3y↑1

I love this song

I just wanna be Swimming in the sea

3y↑9

To Edward May he sail the seven sea even in his death

PoopyAidMan69

Headless or conjuring his head back?

Kaka Kiri

3y↑2

the best song of sea shanties collection for me

DoN in Taiwan

2y↑3

my 7yr old loves shanties n sings this one

Farzana Mughal

cool

Ghina Mouse

39w

Nostalgie is real fr

Drew B

3y↑5

This song makes me want to quit my job.

solomon rice

If u haven’t drank till you can’t stand and sang a sea shanty are you really drunk

babloo1666

3y↑1

Good break up song

Iron Man

44w

❤❤❤❤

Eliora Ward

Halfway though when I want to like the video, then realize I already have..

Filip Ivanović

3y↑1

memories

eban yphil

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Bob Jam

"MERRRRYYY"😢

Hamza Kakakhel

3y↑3

Reminds me of blackflag

Onio Saiyan

3y↑12

Made it to this side of YouTube. I think I might stay awhile. Relax. Take off my coat.

EsotericOccultist

👍

Nasus GG

3y↑2

leave her usopp leave her :(
merry go RIP

Boris Glevrk

3y↑3

Anyone want to post a link to this song when you want to resign from a job?

Leos

3y↑1

The mate was a bucco and the old man was a turk...not turd 🤣🤣🤣

angga

3y↑2

Bila nanti adaberita di TV jangan cari aku lagi. Krn aku berdoa pada Allah demi keselamatan anak anakku yg berharga dari nyawamu dan keluargamu

Zegrath Bloodshade

3y↑3

When mom told u she gave ur old lego set to ur younger cousin

hey look no Hienz

3y↑4

Assassin's creed rogue brought me here. Who else had the same thing?!

Trevor Philips

Nah. Black Flag all the way 🤣

hey look no Hienz

@Trevor Philips lit

Elizabeth Folkie

3y↑1

Lots of modern shanty singers all over the world sing this - hear them at the next Shanty Festival or a Maritime festival or places where - and when - the Tall Ships dock.

Trains & Tracks 22

3y↑1

The Singer isn't really the yellow from the egg.

Rafael Medina Castillo

On the last day of clasess (online clasess) i played this song whit My calssmates and My piano

Cameron Petronella

3y↑2

hey this song was uploaded on my birth day

Elizabeth Folkie

3y↑5

The old man (skipper) was a Turk, not what shows in the video.. Turk was a byword for a hard taskmaster.- he made the sailors work very hard.

ahmed Usama

4y↑2

nice

SimonAlsoMines ツ

3y↑1

listen it in 1.25 playback speed
it sounds nice

Y3MINEM

3y↑2

The mate was a bucko and the old man a TURK

Y3MINEM

3y↑1

And the boatswain was a beggar

Y3MINEM

3y↑1

It’s time by damned that we went too

SirJoeMega

3y↑5

Liver johnny

Esther The Clown

Captain why can't we drink to much rum liver johny liver

Ryboflavin

Sail on brothers

Mark Marks

2y↑1

Wrong.
The mate was a Bucko and the old man a Turk....
A Bucko mate was a disciplinarian and if the Captain was a Turk he was a merciless brute too.

Reece Macaulay

3y↑1

They ought to sing this when a ship is being decommissioned.

Jesper Lassesen

I love this tune. And i do so very much appreciate lyrics to my videos... But then i see one grammatical error after another... And for someone with ADHD and OCD, that doesn't jive... Really... If you're (The creator of this video) dyslectic ? - Then get someone you know, who isn't, to do spell checking for you, before uploading this video... It just reeks of unprofessionalism... Please remove this shoddy piece work, and redo it... I do, how ever, love the picture you've chosen for the background... It's beautiful... And sound quality is great... Juuuust... The spelling... Fix it... Please !!!