Haul Away Joe
Pierce Campbell Lyrics

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When I was a little lad
And so my mother told me,
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
That if I did not kiss the gals
Me lips would all grow moldy.
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Way, haul away, the good ship is a-bolding,

Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
Way, haul away, the sheet is now unfold-ing,
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

King Louis was the king of France
Before the revolution...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
But then he got his head cut off
Which spoiled his constitution...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Way, haul away, we'll haul for better weather...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
Way haul away, we'll haul away together
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

The cook is in the galley boys
Making duff so handy
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
The captain's in his cabin lads
Drinking wine and brandy
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Way, haul away, I'll sing to you of Nancy...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!
Way, haul away, she's just my cut and fancy...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Way, haul away, we'll haul for better weather...
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Way haul away, we'll haul away together
Way, haul away, we'll haul away, Joe!

Overall Meaning

The song "Haul Away Joe" is an old sea shanty that has been adapted and changed over the years. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about his youth, and how his mother warned him that if he didn't kiss the girls, his lips would grow moldy. This type of superstitious warning is common in folk songs, and serves as a reminder to enjoy life to the fullest.

The tone of the song quickly shifts as the singer begins to sing about King Louis of France and his eventual execution. This sudden change in subject matter is a common feature of sea shanties, which were often used to help sailors pass the time and distract them from the hardships of their work. The chorus of the song is a call-and-response format, where one group of singers calls out "Way, haul away," and another group responds with "we'll haul away, Joe!" This repetitive structure helped to keep sailors in rhythm while they worked.

Line by Line Meaning

When I was a little lad
As a child, when I was young

And so my mother told me,
My mother warned me that

That if I did not kiss the gals
If I refused to kiss girls

Me lips would all grow moldy.
My lips would become infected with mold.

Way, haul away, the good ship is a-bolding,
Heave ho, we're on a restless ship

Way, haul away, the sheet is now unfold-ing,
Heave ho, we're unfurling the sails

King Louis was the king of France
Louis was the monarch of France

Before the revolution...
This was before the French Revolution

But then he got his head cut off
However, he was beheaded

Which spoiled his constitution...
And this ruined his physical and mental wellbeing

Way, haul away, we'll haul for better weather...
Heave ho, we'll work our way to better climate