{title: Leave Her, Johnny}
{artist: Traditional}
{key: D}
{tempo: 90}
{difficulty: beginner}
{tags: shanty,traditional,pump-shanty}
{video: youtube:8Fow61Zsn2s}
{credit: The Longest Johns - 'Leave Her Johnny' (Mass Choir Community Video). Traditional homeward-bound shanty (PD composition).}

{c: Sung at the very end of a voyage, while pumping out the last of the bilge before paying off. Bittersweet — sailors finally free to grumble about the ship, the food, the captain.}
{c: Slow, dragging tempo. Heavy on the chorus. Halyard pull on "leave her, Johnny."}

{start_of_verse}
I [D]thought I heard the [G]Old Man [D]say
{soc}Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave her[D]{eoc}
You can [D]go ashore and [G]take your [D]pay
It's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
[D]Leave her, Johnny, [G]leave her[D]
Oh, [G]leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
For the [D]voyage is long and the [G]winds don't [D]blow
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
Oh the [D]wind was foul and the [G]sea ran [D]high
Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
She shipped it [D]green and [G]none went [D]by
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
I [D]hate to sail on [G]this rotten [D]tub
Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
No [D]grog allowed and [G]rotten [D]grub
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
The [D]captain was bad, but the [G]mate was [D]worse
Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
He could [D]blow you down with [G]a spoken [D]curse
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
The [D]work was hard, the [G]voyage was [D]long
Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
The [D]seas were high, the [G]gales were [D]strong
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
It's [D]time for us to [G]say good[D]bye
Leave her, [A7]Johnny, leave [D]her
The old [D]ship's rolled and we're [G]all paid [D]off
And it's [G]time for us to [A7]leave [D]her
{end_of_verse}

{c: Traditionally the LAST thing sung on a voyage. Slow it down, mean every word.}