trad
The Essequibo River is in Guyana. A halyard shanty; Hugill got from shipmate & shantyman “Harding the Barbarian”. Hugill says, as far as he knows neither have ever been in print. Last two verses by Martin Simpson. “Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh” might mean “Boat a-turnin’ now, we are somebody o’er” (i.e. turn the boat around, we’re a man overboard) in Creole.
The Essiquibo River is the king of rivers all, Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo River is the king of rivers all, Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh Chorus: Somebody, oh, somebody, oh Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo captain is the king of captains all, Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo captain is the king of captains all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo bosun is the king of bosuns all, Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo bosun is the king of bosuns all, Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo maidens are the queen of maidens all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo maidens are the queen of maidens all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo sallies are the queen of sallies all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo sallies are the queen of sallies all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo sailor is the king of sailors all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo sailors is the king of sailors all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo River is the king of rivers all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh The Essiquibo River is the king of rivers all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh Running like the devil when we’re running from the squall Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh Running like the devil, or the devil take us all Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh When we get to Georgetown the sheets a-coming down Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh ___ silver dollars and go tearing round the town Boddy tanana, we are somebody, oh