Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor

"Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor" is a traditional Newfoundland and Labrador folk song. It is a comical retelling of the Jonah tale, with a Newfoundland whaler as protagonist, but in this instance the whale gets his comeuppance.

By Sue Rogers 13 years ago in Songs

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Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor (WORD)
Jack Was Every Inch A Sailor (PDF)

It was published by Greenleaf and Mansfield in Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland (Cambridge, Mass 1933) and recorded by Alan Mills on Folk Songs of Newfoundland (1953, Folkways FW-6931)

It may have been adapted from a New York City music-hall song "Every Inch a Sailor", which itself was a burlesque of "HMS Pinafore".

This song was covered by Canadian children's singing group Sharon, Lois and Bram on The Elephant Show.

****REVISED March 2019 - SR****

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