Leave Her Johnny
Sean Dagher Michiel Schrey & Nils Brown Lyrics


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Oh, I thought I heard the Old Man say
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her"
Tomorrow ye will get your pay
And it's time for us to leave her

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

Oh, the wind was foul and the sea ran high
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
She shipped it 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
For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her

I hate to sail on this rotten tub
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
No grog allowed and rotten grub
And it's time for us to leave her

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

We swear by rote for want of more
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
But now we're through so we'll go on shore
And it's time for us to leave her

Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her




For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her

Overall Meaning

The song "Leave her Johnny" is a sea shanty that tells the story of a crew that is on their last day aboard a ship. The "Old Man" is likely the captain of the vessel, who is telling the crew to abandon ship and prepare for their pay. The crew sings a series of verses as they work, lamenting the poor conditions of the voyage and their longing for shore leave.


The chorus of the song, "Leave her, Johnny, leave her," is a repeated refrain that serves as a call for the crew members to let go of their attachment to the ship and move on. The verses describe the foul weather, the lack of good food and drink, and the general feeling of dissatisfaction among the crew. The final verse speaks to the crew's relief at being able to leave the ship and swearing to never sail on such a vessel again.


The song is a classic example of a sea shanty, a type of work song originally sung aboard sailing vessels to help coordinate labor and keep spirits up. The repetitive melody and lyrics were meant to be easily memorized and create a sense of camaraderie among the crew. "Leave her, Johnny" has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, and remains a popular song among maritime enthusiasts and folk music fans.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, I thought I heard the Old Man say
The singer overheard the Old Man instructing the crew to abandon ship.


"Leave her, Johnny, leave her"
The Old Man orders someone named Johnny to leave the ship.


Tomorrow ye will get your pay
The crew will receive their compensation for the voyage the next day.


And it's time for us to leave her
It is time for the crew to evacuate the ship.


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
The Old Man repeats his order for Johnny to leave the vessel.


Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
The singer echoes the command for Johnny to abandon ship.


For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow
The journey is lengthy, and the wind is not in the crew's favor.


And it's time for us to leave her
The crew needs to abandon the ship.


Oh, the wind was foul and the sea ran high
The wind was against the ship, and the waves were rough.


She shipped it green and none went by
The ship was struck with water, and no one was able to avoid it.


I hate to sail on this rotten tub
The singer does not enjoy traveling on this poorly maintained ship.


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
The Old Man repeats his command for Johnny to abandon ship.


No grog allowed and rotten grub
The crew is not permitted to have alcohol, and the food is of poor quality.


And it's time for us to leave her
The crew needs to abandon the vessel.


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
The Old Man reiterates his order for Johnny to evacuate the ship.


Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
The artist repeats the command for Johnny to abandon the ship.


We swear by rote for want of more
The crew asserts something repetitive due to a lack of better options.


But now we're through so we'll go on shore
The crew has finished the voyage and will now disembark.


And it's time for us to leave her
It is time for the crew to leave the vessel behind.


Leave her, Johnny, leave her
The Old Man reiterates his command for Johnny to abandon the ship.


Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
The artist repeats the command for Johnny to abandon the ship.


For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow
The journey was difficult and long, with unfavorable wind conditions.


And it's time for us to leave her
It is time for the crew to evacuate the vessel.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Traditional, Johnny Collins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@edilebert

I thought I heard the Old Man say:
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her."
Tomorrow you will get your pay
And it's time for us to leave her

[Chorus]
Leave her, Johnny, leave her!
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her!
For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her

Oh, the wind was foul and the sea ran high
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
She shipped it green and none went by
And it's time for us to leave her

[Chorus]

I hate to sail on this rotten tub
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
No grog allowed and rotten grub
And it's time for us to leave her

[Chorus]

We swear by rote for want of more
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
But now we're through so we'll go on shore
And it's time for us to leave her



All comments from YouTube:

@Awgez24

You made the most memorable part of Assassins Creed 4.

@keil97

So good.

@SeanDagher

Why thank you!

@firebirdchild975

how did you ended up whit that project if i may ask

@lordberly

Bunyip swamp asking the most important question right there! yeah, sir... can you share some story with us pleaseee so I can die in peace XD

@SeanDagher

Hi, sorry for the delay in replying. Ubisoft has an office here in Montreal. A colleague of mine got the contract to produce the music and he hired me to do some of the singing.

37 More Replies...

@lxkrny

This man's voice is one of the best i've heard, It made AC4 fun to play, I rarely used fast travel because of the shanties.

@gorillazwiki

Alex K as do i mate mate such love for ac4

@SeanDagher

+Alex K Thanks! Glad you like it. Super fun repertoire to sing.

@saheliumd7182

I was glad that when a member of my crew fell to Spanish and English steel, that they never got the shanty man, a bottle of grog to you.

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