This excellent chorus song was first printed in Captain W. B. Whall’s book Sea Songs and Shanties in 1910 and is a good example of a forebitter, a song sung by the sailors in their off duty hours in the fo’c’sle rather than a shanty (a work song for their working hours). He remembers it being popular in the 1860’s but has no idea who originated the song. According to A. L. Lloyd, the bow-wow chorus was borrowed from a popular music hall song of the time.
The skippers of the old time sailing ships were notorious for their high handed leadership styles but in this case the sailors lay an additional complaint at his door; he’s a lazy slob who stays below decks supping the rum ration while they are aloft working in the wind and rain. Having no acceptable means of challenging the skipper’s conduct (skippers sat at the right hand of God, so to speak) it’s hardly surprising that they wouldn’t grieve too much if he fell overboard and fed the sharks. But even so, such songs would have to be sung out of earshot of the captain and his officers.
I first heard this song sung by the illustrious Waterson family in the folk club scene of the 1960’s and it has cropped up from time to time ever since.