The Powder Monkey

Hooker John [290-291] (214-215)

The chorus written for this capstan chantey as given by Hugill runs, Hooker John, me Hoo-john. God help me if I know what that means! Uncharacteristic of Hugill, he makes no attempt to explain it. Richard Adrianowicz, who recorded a very nice interpretation, offers a reference to a Dutch word for a fishing boat:

I am not satisfied. Although not ruling out the possibility that the chorus is more or less nonsense--plenty of songs are like that--I imagine it is a corruption of some phrase. My guess is what I am singing: hoosier, John, me hoosier.

Hugill writes that this chantey probably originated as a cotton-stower's song. Also, the solo melody is very similar to the chantey Roll the Cotton Down. Plus the chantey does mention a hoosier, so altogether I thought it not inappropriate to modify the chorus to reference the cotton hoosiers.

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