Five Examples Of Sea Shanties That Include The Words "The Wild Goose Nation"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update - May 22, 2022 

This pancocojams post presents five examples of sea shanties (chanties) that include the words "the Wild Goose Nation".

Some quotes about the meanings of  "the wild goose nation" are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on African Americans and West Indians chanties (shanties). Click the tags given below for previous posts and subsequent posts on this subject.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/03/19th-century-blackface-minstrel-songs.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "19th Century Blackface Minstrel Songs That Include The Words "The Wild Goose Nation" ". 

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FIVE EXAMPLES OF SHANTIES THAT INCLUDE THE WORDS "WILD GOOSE NATION"

These examples and excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. 

This post doesn't mean to imply that these are all the shanties with the words "wild goose nation".

EXAMPLE #1
From https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20774/20774-h/20774-h.htm
"Title: The Shanty Book, Part I, Sailor Shanties
Author: Richard Runciman Terry
Contributor: Sir Walter Runciman
Release Date: March 8, 2007 [EBook #20774]

The Shanty Book

Part I

Sailor Shanties

(Curwen Edition 6308)

Collected and Edited, with Pianoforte Accompaniment, by RICHARD RUNCIMAN TERRY, with a Foreword by SIR WALTER RUNCIMAN, Bart.

LONDON

J. Curwen & Sons Ltd., 24 Berners Street, W. 1

Copyright, 1921, by J. Curwen & Sons Ltd.

[…]

[Pg xiii]

 NOTES ON THE SHANTIES

[…]

12. THE WILD GOOSE SHANTY

This I learnt from Capt. John Runciman. Allusions to 'The Wild Goose Nation' occur in many shanties, but I never obtained any clue to the meaning (if any) of the term. The verse about 'huckleberry hunting' was rarely omitted, but I never heard that particular theme further developed. Whall gives another version (in six-eight time) on page 131.

[page] 26
12. The Wild Goose Shanty.

(WINDLASS AND CAPSTAN.)

1. I'm the Shanty-man of the Wild Goose Nation.

Tibby Way-ay Hioha!

I've left my wife on a big plantation.

Hilo my Ranzo Hay!

2. Now a long farewell to the old plantation. (twice)

3. And a long farewell to the Wild Goose Nation. (twice)

4. Oh the boys and girls went a huckleberry hunting. (twice)

5. Then good-bye and farewell you rolling river. (twice)

6. I'm the Shanty-man of the Wild Goose Nation.

I've left my wife on a big plantation."
-snip-
Here are some comments regarding the name "Ranzo" from https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8009&messages=19
Subject: RE:
From: Jon W.
Date: 10 Dec 98 - 11:09 AM

From the liner notes of "Blow Boys Blow" by Ewan MacColl & A.L. Lloyd:

One of the great halyard shanties is "Wild Goose Shanty," seemingly better known in English ships than American ones, though some versions of it have become crossed with the American song called "Huckleberry Hunting." From the graceful movement of its melody it is possible that this is an older shanty than most. Perhaps it evolved out of some long-lost lyrical song.

By the way, does anyone know the meaning of the word "Ranzo"? I've heard it in several shanties.

**

Subject: RE: 'Wild Goose Shanty (Ranzo)' background From: Steve Gardham Date: 06 Feb 20 - 06:38 PM 22 years late, but Ranzo is a shortening of the proper name 'Lorenzo'."

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EXAMPLE #2
From https://mainsailcafe.com/songs/wild-goose-shanty

I'm the Shantyman of the Wild Goose Nation
Ch: Tibby way-ay Hi-o-ha!
I've left my wife on a big plantation.
Ch: Hi-lo my Ranzo Hay!

Now a long farewell to the old plantation
Now a long farewell to the old plantation

And a long farewell to the Wild Goose Nation
And a long farewell to the Wild Goose Nation

Oh the boys and the girls went a huckleberry hunting
Oh the boys and the girls went a huckleberry hunting

Then goodbye and farewell you rolling river
Then goodbye and farewell you rolling river

I'm the Shantyman of the Wild Goose Nation
I've left my wife on a big plantation
From The Shanty Book by Richard Runciman Terry (1921 and 1926)
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That page also includes these lyrics for "a more popular variant":

Did you ever see a Wild Goose sailing o'er the ocean?
Ch: Ranzo, Ranzo, way
They're just like them pretty girls when they gets the notion
Ch: Ranzo, Ranzo, way

The other morn's I was walking down by the river
I met a pretty fair maid with her topsails all a-quiver

I said my pretty fair maiden, "how are you this morning?"
She said "I'm not better for the seeing of you"
-snip-
Here's a quote about the Wild Goose shanty from https://londonseashantycollective.com/songs/wild-goose/
"A much-loved and evocative shanty. Possibly of minstrel origins; the “wild goose” might refer to the mysterious Wild Goose nation mentioned in several shanties, variously thought to relate to Ireland or Native Americans or African-Americans." 
-snip-
From reading examples of the Wild Goose shanty and examples of certain 19th century Black plantation songs*, my guess is that "Wild Goose Nation" is a fictitious name for a Native American "nation" which included Black people who escaped from slavery, some of whom married Native Americans and had mixed race offspring.
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EXAMPLE #3
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8009
Subject: Lyr Add: RANZO RAY / WILD GOOSE SHANTY

From: Abby Sale

Date: 10 Dec 98 - 04:42 PM

 ... Huckleberry Shanty begins:

 RANZO RAY

 Oh, I'm shantyman of the workin' party

Timme way, timme hey, timme he ho hay

So sing lads, pull lads, so strong and hearty

An' sing Hilo, me Ranzo Ray!

I'm shantyman or* the Wild Goose nation,

Got a maid that I left on the big plantation,

Then goodbye and farewell you rolling river

Then goodbye and farewell you rolling river

Did you ever see a Wild Goose sailing o'er the ocean?

Ch: Ranzo, Ranzo, way

They're just like them pretty girls when they gets the notion

Ch: Ranzo, Ranzo, way

The other morn's I was walking down by the river

I met a pretty fair maid with her topsails all a-quiver

I said my pretty fair maiden, "how are you this morning?"

She said "I'm not better for the seeing of you"
-end of quote-

*“or the Wild Goose nation” is a typo for “of the Wild Goose nation”.

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EXAMPLE #4
From https://mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=762608&messages__Message_ID=762608
…"Stan Hugill, in his book Shanties from the Seven Seas also gives a version of the shanty Huckleberry Hunting that he calls We'll Ranzo Way. Here are Hugill's notes from his book:

"Another shanty which mentions our hero Ranzo is the one variously known as We'll Ranzo Way, The Wild Goose Shanty, or Huckleberry Hunting. This was sung at windlass and capstan, but Doerflinger gives it as halyards and pumps - in other words it appears to have been used for every shipboard job with perhaps the exception of tacks and sheets, and hand-over hand! My version is as follows"

We'll Ranzo Way

Alternative titles: Sing Hilo, Me Ranzo Ray, Huckleberry Hunting, The Wild Goose Shanty

O-oh, I'm shantyman of the working' party

Ch:Timme way, timme hay, timme hee-ho hay!

So sing, lads, pull lads so strong an' hearty

Ch: An' sing Hilo, me Ranzo way!

I'm shantyman of the Wild Goose nation

Got a maid that I left on the big plantation

Oh, the sassiest gal o' that Wild Goose nation

Is her that I left on the big plantation

 

Oh, the boys an' the gals went a huckleberry huntin'

The gals began to cry an' the boys they dowsed their huntin' [stopped their huntin'; stopped their courtin']

Then a little gal ran off an' a little boy ran arter

The little gal fell down an' he saw her little garter

 

Said he, 'I'll be yer beau, if ye'll have me for yer feller,'

But the little gal said, 'No, 'cos me sweetheart's Jackie Miller.'

 

But he took her on his knee, an' he kissed her right an' proper

She kissed him back agen, an' he didn't try to stop'er

 

An' then he put his arm all around her tight an' waspy waist

Sez she, 'Young man, you're showing' much too great a haste!'

[The underlined words in this shanty are the places where the sailors would all pull together. R.A.]...]*

The remaining verses are mainly obscene and much the same as those used in the bawdy version of A-rovin'. 

Radriano [RA- person who published this information]
-snip-
*No words were underlined in that website's lyrics.

**This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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EXAMPLE #5
SALLY BROWN (ROLL AND GO)
From 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVUn_v3jIZA hultonclint, July 6, 2008*

O, Sally Brown's a bright mulatto,
Way, hay, roll and go!
She drinks rum and chews tobacca,
Spend my money on Sally Brown!

 [Add "Way, hay, roll and go" as found above]

Sally lives in ole Jamaica

Sellin rum and growin tobacca

Spend my money on Sally Brown

Sally lives on the ole plantation

She’s a daughter of the wild goose nation

Sally's teeth are white and pearly

Her eyes are dark and hair is curly**

Sweetest flower in the valley

Is my own, my pretty Sally

I brought her gowns and I brought her laces.

I took her out to all the places.

Well I call her my queen of faces.

I bought her coral beads and laces.

Oh Sally Brown what is the matter?

A pretty gal but I can’t get at her.

Seven long years I courted Sally.

But she always dilly dallied.

Sally Brown she would not marry.

I no longer care to tarry.

She would not have ah tarry sailor.

She would not have ah greasy whaler.

 

So Sally Brown I took the notion

To sail across the bleeding ocean

I shipped aboard ah Bedford whaler.

When I returned she was courtin a tailor.

 

So Sally Brown, I’m bound to leave her.

So heave a pall and pall and heave her ***

*transcribed by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.

**I had transcribed this line as "her eyes are dark and curly", but that doesn't make sense. I therefore changed that line to this version

***I'm not sure if I correctly transcribed this line.

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