A favorite and frequently used song, in which Bonaparte's fortunes are portrayed in a manner startling to the historian, as well as to those who may have the fortune to hear it sung at any time, is:--
Oh, Bo-ney was a war-rior, _A-way_, hey way! Oh, Bo-ney was a war-rior, _John Fran-cois_.
Oh, Boney went to Roo-shy, Chorus. Oh, Boney went to Proo-shy, Chorus. He crossed the Rocky Mountains, Chorus. He made a mistake at Waterloo, Chorus. He died at Saint Helena. Chorus. ][Music]
Where Tommy actually proceeded to when he went "a high low" nobody knows, but the fact is related with continual gusto nevertheless:--
My Tom-my's gone and I'll go, too; _Chorus._ Hur-rah, you high low. For with-out Tom-my I can't do. _Chorus._ My _Tommy's_ gone a _high low_.
My Tommy's gone on the Eastern Shore, Chorus. My Tommy's gone to Baltimore, Chorus. ][Music]
A person who knows a little of geography can send Tommy around the world according to his own discretion.
One of the best illustrations of the absolute nothingness that characterizes the words of these songs, is given by the utterances attending the melody called "Shanadore," which probably means Shenandoah, a river in Virginia. I often have heard such confusing statements as the following:--
Sha-na-dore's a roll-ing riv-er, _Chorus._ _Hur-rah_, you roll-ing riv-er. Oh, Sha-na-dore's a roll-ing riv-er, _Chorus._ _Ah hah_, I'm bound a-way o'er the wild Mis-sou-ri.
Shanadore's a packet sailor, Chorus. Shanadore's a bright mulatto, Chorus. Shanadore I long to hear you. Chorus. ][Music]
and so the song goes on, according to the ingenuity of the impromptu composer.
Sailors are not total abstainers as a rule, and one would suspect that a song like "Whiskey Johnny" might find frequent utterance:--
Whis-key is the life of man, _Chorus._ _Whis-key_ John-ny. We'll drink our whis-key when we can, _Chorus._ _Whis-key_ for my John-ny.
I drink whiskey, and my wife drinks gin, Chorus. And the way she drinks it is a sin. Chorus. I and my wife cannot agree, Chorus. For she drinks whiskey in her tea. Chorus. I had a girl, her name was Lize, Chorus. And she put whiskey in her pies. Chorus. Whiskey's gone and I'll go too, Chorus. For without whiskey I can't do. Chorus. ][Music]