Sugar in the Hold
The Jolly Rogers Lyrics


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Below, below, below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!
Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Wish I was in Mobile Bay
Screwin' cotton all the day
But I'm stowing sugar in the hold below
Below, below, below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!
Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

The JM white is a brand-new boat
Stem to stern she's mighty fine
Beat any boat on the New Orleans line
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!
Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

The engineer shouts through his horn
"Tell the mate we got bad news
Can't get the steam from the
Fire in the flue"
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!
Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Captain stands on the quarter deck
Scratchin' 'way at his old neck
He shouts "Heave out the larboard lead!"
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!
Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!




Hey, ho, below below!
Stowing sugar in the hold below!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Jolly Rogers's song Sugar in the Hold describe the life of sailors on a ship that is transporting sugar. The repetition of "below, below, below" and "stowing sugar in the hold below" creates a sense of a laborious task that requires a lot of physical effort. The singer expresses a sense of longing for a different life, wishing to be "screwin' cotton all the day" in Mobile Bay instead of dealing with sugar in the hold. The second stanza introduces JM White, a brand-new boat that the crew takes pride in. The boat is described as "mighty fine" and it is said to beat any boat on the New Orleans line. The third stanza introduces a problem - the engineer reports that they can't get the steam from the fire in the flue, which creates an obstacle for their journey. Lastly, the captain shouts commands from the quarter deck, trying to navigate the ship through rough waters.


The song speaks to the hard work that sailors had to do on the ships and the challenges they faced during their journeys. The lyrics paint a picture of a difficult life, but also express a sense of pride and camaraderie among the crew. The repetition of "hey, ho" and "stowing sugar in the hold below" create a rhythmical quality to the song, making it an excellent sea shanty to sing along to.


Line by Line Meaning

Below, below, below!
We're going down to the lower deck


Hey, ho, below below!
We're excited to stow sugar in the hold


Stowing sugar in the hold below!
We're working hard to store sugar in the lower deck


Wish I was in Mobile Bay
I'd rather be working with cotton


Screwin' cotton all the day
Working with cotton is what I enjoy doing all day


The JM white is a brand-new boat
We're on a new and impressive boat


Stem to stern she's mighty fine
The boat is in great shape from front to back


Beat any boat on the New Orleans line
Our boat is faster and better than others on the same route


The engineer shouts through his horn
The engineer is communicating with the crew through a loudspeaker


"Tell the mate we got bad news
The engineer has some bad news to deliver to the supervisor


Can't get the steam from the
The boat's engine is having issues producing enough steam


Fire in the flue"
There's a fire in the part of the engine that heats water to produce steam


Captain stands on the quarter deck
The captain is standing on the back of the ship


Scratchin' 'way at his old neck
The captain is feeling tired and itchy


He shouts "Heave out the larboard lead!"
The captain orders the crew to check the depth of the water on the left side of the ship




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Tiglath-Pileser3

Sing along if you know the words. Sing along quietly if you don't know the words.

@TheJollyRogers

That's how we get through most of our shows! 😆

@CrystalTeacup

SHANTY TIME! By all the gods, do I love you doing traditional shanties!

@TheJollyRogers

Get ready for a whole disc worth of them! 🙂

@plantlord3266

another catchy shanty-you can just see men toiling in the sun, sweating backs and loading the sugar by the barrel I assume-congrats on 25 years!! much success

@nderthaker

My friends from work listen this song at least 3 times on my shift, and its working preaty good in the kitchen.

@TheJollyRogers

Who knew we'd discovered the little-known sub-genre of Cooking Shanty? 😉

@nderthaker

@@TheJollyRogers 🤣

@seantaylor2683

@@TheJollyRogers The other day when I was making dinner I had your music playing

@DW-gh1ov

Love y’all! Haven’t heard this one yet, thanks again guys. Missing my time underway ⛵️

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