Lyrics:
Oh say, were you ever in Rio Grande?
Oh, you Rio
It’s there that the river runs down golden sand
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
And away, love, away
Oh, you Rio
Sing fare ye well my pretty young girls
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Oh, New York town is no place for me
Oh, you Rio
I’ll pack up my bag and we’ll head out to sea
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
And away, love, away
Oh, you Rio
Sing fare ye well my pretty young girls
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
So it’s pack up your mule and we’ll get under way
Oh, you Rio
The girls we are leaving can take half our pay
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
And away, love, away
Oh, you Rio
Sing fare ye well my pretty young girls
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
We’ll sell our salt cod for molasses and rum
Oh, you Rio
And get home again ‘fore Thanksgiving has come
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
And away, love, away
Oh, you Rio
Sing fare ye well my pretty young girls
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Sing goodbye to Nellie and goodbye to Sue
Oh, you Rio
And you who are listening, it’s goodbye to you
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
And away, love, away
Oh, you Rio
Sing fare ye well my pretty young girls
And we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Additional Verses
And good-bye, fare you well, all you ladies of town
Oh, you Rio
We’ve left you enough for to buy a silk gown
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Now you Bowery ladies we’d have you to know
Oh, you Rio
We’re bound to the south’ard, O Lord, let us go!
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Our good ship’s a-going out over the bar
Oh, you Rio
And we’ll point her nose for the southernmost star
For we’re bound to the Rio Grande
Lyrics published in Chanteying Aboard American Ships (1962)
Chanteying Aboard American Ships by Frederick Pease Harlow (1962, p. 111-112):
“Oh, where are you going to, my pretty maid?”
Away, oh, Rio!
“Oh, I’m going a-milking, sir,” she said
For we’re bound for the Rio Grande
Oh, away, oh, Rio
Away, oh, Rio!
So fare you well, my bonny young girl
For we’re bound for the Rio Grande
“Oh may I go with you my sweet pretty maid?”
“I’m sure you’re quite welcome, sir,” she said
Oh, man the good capstan and run it around
We’ll heave in the sugar and then, homeward bound
We’ll sing to the maidens, come sing as we heave
You know at this parting how sadly we greive
Sing good-bye to Sally and good-bye to Sue
And you who are listening, it’s good-bye to you
So heave up the sugar until it is high
“Let go! Stand from under!” the mate, he doth cry
Oh heave with a will and heave steady and strong
We’ll sing a good chorus for ’tis a good song
The ship she went sailing out over the bar
They pointed her nose for the old Southern Star
So good-bye, young ladies, we’ll sing you no more
But we’ll drink to your health when we all go ashore
Variant - Sur la route de San Francisco
From chansonsdemarins.com
Le sac sur l’épaule et la pipe au chapeau
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Faut monter à bord pour se remettre à flot
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Adieu la bamboche et les filles au sang chaud
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Le vieux qui nous mène à du vice plein la peau
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Il dresse les bordées à coup de barre de guindeaux
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Adieu la bamboche et les filles au sang chaud
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Le jour comme la nuit faudra crocher l’morceau
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Sur notre paillasse y’aura jamais de repos
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Adieu la bamboche et les filles au sang chaud
Sur la route de San-Francisco
Tiens bon, oh matelot!
Featured On:
Songs of the Lakes, Rivers, and Seas
• Recordings I Learned From Or Like •
About the Song:
“Rio Grande” is an example of a capstan shanty. Like many traditional songs, the author of “Rio Grande” is unknown. Its earliest known documentation was in 1894 by Alfred M. Williams in his book Studies in Folk-Song and Popular Poetry. This shanty refers to the Brazilian province and chief port Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, not the river between Texas and Mexico. This shanty was traditionally popular with American sailors shipping coffee as well as sailors leaving England’s western coast and Wales who would often stop in Newfoundland or Cadiz for salt cod. Rio Grande do Sul was a major hub for trade between the US and Britain. The sand shoals in the Rio Grande estuary connecting the Lagoa dos Patos with the sea would shift, making access to the port nearly impossible unless the tide was favorable.
Alternate Titles: “Away for Rio”, “Bound for the Rio Grande”
Related Songs: “Sur la route de San Francisco”, “Seolta Geala” (Altan, shares melody and general seafaring theme)