Blow the man down
Traditional · The Shanty Book, Part I
To me Way-ay, blow the man down.
Oh blow the man down, bullies, blow him away.
Oh gimme some time to blow the man down.
2. We went over the Bar on the thirteenth of May.
To me Way-ay, blow the man down.
The Galloper jumped, and the gale came away.
Oh gimme some time to blow the man down.
3. Oh the rags they was gone, and the chains they was jammed,
And the skipper sez he, "Let the weather be hanged."
4. As I was a-walking down Winchester Street,
A saucy young damsel I happened to meet.
5. I sez to her, "Polly, and how d'you do?"
Sez she, "None the better for seein' of you."
6. Oh, it's sailors is tinkers, and tailors is men.
And we're all of us coming to see you again.
7. So we'll blow the man up, and we'll blow the man down.
And we'll blow him away into Liverpool Town.
About Blow the man down
"Blow the man down" finds Traditional in a pop-minded frame, where a clear central idea and emotional directness carry the song. Its appeal comes from commitment to a single emotional temperature rather than from trying to impress through sheer scale. There is a welcome sense of proportion in the way the music presents itself: the hook has room to land, while the surrounding moments support it instead of competing for attention. Small changes in intensity keep the song moving and stop its main idea from becoming static, giving the performance a natural sense of flow. For listeners returning to Traditional, the song offers a compact example of how mood, pacing, and a recognizable point of view can meet in one place. The result is a focused piece of music that works in the moment but still has enough character to invite a return visit. The clarity of that approach is its own strength, because it lets the feeling come through without turning every moment into a dramatic demand. Even when it aims for immediacy, the track avoids feeling disposable because its atmosphere remains distinct after the final note. Its emotional center stays firmly in view throughout.