Boney Was a Warrior Lyrics

About this shanty

"Boney Was a Warrior" is a short-haul shanty sung for tasks requiring quick, hard pulls in rapid succession. The "Boney" of the title is Napoleon Bonaparte. Stan Hugill speculated it had its origins in the street ballads of the Napoleonic Wars. The refrain "Jean Francois!" provided the moment of each pull. Unusually, the narrative was fixed — no improvised verses — because Napoleon's life provided a ready-made sequence shantymen could recall in order.

Listen

Lyrics

Short-haul shanty

Boney was a warrior,
Away, ay, yah!
A warrior and a terrior,
Jean Francois!

Boney fought the Rooshians,
Away, ay, yah!
The Austrians and Prooshians,
Jean Francois!

Moscow was a-blazing,
Away, ay, yah!
And Boney was a-raging,
Jean Francois!

'Twas on the plains of Waterloo,
Away, ay, yah!
He met the Duke who put him through,
Jean Francois!

They took him off to Saint Helene,
Away, ay, yah!
Far away from all his fighting men,
Jean Francois!

Boney broke his heart and died,
Away, ay, yah!
In Saint Helene he lay and cried,
Jean Francois!

Related shanties

Drunken Sailor — stamp-and-go shanty
Haul Away, Joe — short-haul shanty
Blow the Man Down — long-haul shanty
Stormalong — long-haul shanty