Barnacle Bill, aka Bollocky Bill the Sailor, is a traditional bawdy folksong which, according to Cray (1992), was originally titled Abram (or Abraham) Brown. There are several versions of the bawdy song in the Gordon "Inferno" Collection at the Library of Congress folklife archive. The first printed version of the song is in the public ___domain book Immortalia.
Lyrics
The lyrics from the public ___domain book Immortalia pgs 109-110 are
- BALLOCHY BILL THE SAILOR
- Anonymous
- "Who is knocking at my door,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Who is knocking at my door,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Open the door and let me in,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor;
- "Open the door and let me in,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "You may sleep upon the floor,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "To hell with the floor, I can't fuck that,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "You may lie down at my side,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "To hell with your side, I can't fuck that,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "You may lie between my thighs,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "What've you got between your thighs?"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "O, I've got a nice pin-cushion,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "And I've got a pin that will just fit in,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "But what if we have a baby?"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Strangle the bastard and throw him away,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "But what about the law, sir,"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Kick the bleeders out on their ass,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "But what if there's an inquest?"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Then shove the inquest up your cunt,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "And what about my paw and maw?"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Fuck your maw, and bugger your paw,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "Whenever shall I see you?"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Whenever shall I see you?"
- Said the fair young maiden.
- "Never no more you dirty whore,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
- "Never no more you dirty whore,"
- Said Ballochy Bill the sailor.
Recordings
The earliest date for this song is a bowdlerized version recorded by Frank Luther in December 1928 and issued on Brunswick 4180 Audio file "barnacle_bill_the_sailor__frank_luther__issued_on_brunswick_4180__recorded_dec_1928.ogg" not found. One of the most recent recordings is by John Valby Audio file "barnacle_bill_the_sailor__john_valby__double_d_cd__track_22.ogg" not found on his Double D CD.
In Movies & Elsewhere
The song Barnacle Bill has inspired a film, a cartoon, and the name of a rock on Mars.
References
- Richard A. Reuss, An Annotated Field Collection of Songs From the American College Student Oral Tradition (Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Masters Thesis, 1965).
- Ed Cray, The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs (University of Illinois, 1992).