"The Ryans and The Pittmans" is a popular Newfoundland folk song. It tells of the romantic entanglements of a sailor named Bob Pittman, and his desire to sail home to finally marry his "sweet Biddy". The song is also known as "We'll Rant and We'll Roar", after the first line of the chorus; however, this is also the name by which some foreign variants are known.
It is based on a traditional English capstan shanty, "Spanish Ladies", which describes headlands sighted on a sailor's homeward voyage through the English Channel. "Spanish Ladies" has a number of variants: New England whalers sang of "Yankee Whalermen", while their Pacific counterparts sang of Talcuhano Girls. A more landlocked drover's version surfaced in Australia as "Brisbane Ladies".
Verses 2, 8, 9, and 10 of the Newfoundland version are adapted from that of the whalers; the remainder were composed around 1875 by Henry W. LeMessurier. It was printed in Old Songs of Newfoundland (1912) by James Murphy. The places mentioned in the song are outports in and around Placentia Bay, Newfoundland.
The most famous recent version of the song was recorded by Great Big Sea.
Lyrics
THE RYANS AND THE PITTMANS
Chorus:We'll rant and we'll roar like true NewfoundlandersWe'll rant and we'll roar on deck and belowUntil we see bottom inside the two sunkersWhen straight through the Channel to Toslow we'll go.My name it is Robert, they call me Bob PittmanI sail in the Ino with Skipper Tom BrownI'm bound to have Polly or Biddy or MollyAs soon as I'm able to plank the cash down.I'm a son of a sea cook, and a cook in a traderI can dance, I can sing, I can reef the mainboomI can handle a jigger, and cuts a fine figureWhenever I gets in a boat's standing room.If the voyage is good, this fall I will do itI wants two pounds ten for a ring and the priestA couple of dollars for clean shirts and collarsAnd a handful of coppers to make up a feast.There's plump little Polly, her name is GoldsworthyThere's John Coady's Kitty and Mary TibboThere's Clara from Brule and young Martha FoleyBut the nicest of all is me girl from Toslow.Farewell and adieu to ye girls of ValenFarewell and adieu to ye girls in the CoveI'm bound to the westward, to the wall with the hole inI'll take her from Toslow the wide world to rove.Farewell and adieu to ye girls of St. Kryan'sOf Paradise and Presque, Big and Little BonaI'm bound unto Toslow to marry sweet BiddyAnd if I don't do so I'm afraid of her da'.I've bought me a house from Katherine DavisA twenty pound bed from Jimmy McGrathI'll get me a settle, a pot and a kettleAnd then I'll be ready for Biddy, hurrah!O, I brought in the Ino this spring from the city,Some rings and gold brooches for the girls in the Bay;I bought me a case-pipe —- they call it a meerschaum —-It melted like butter upon a hot day.I went to a dance one night at Fox Harbour,There were plenty of girls, so nice as you'd wish;There was one pretty maiden a-chewin' of frankgumJust like a young kitten a-gnawing fresh fish.Then here is a health to the girls of Fox HarbourOf Oderin and Presque, Crabbes Hole and BruleNow let ye be jolly, don't be melancholyI can't marry all or in chokey I'd be.We'll rant and we'll roar like true NewfoundlandersWe'll rant and we'll roar on deck and belowUntil we see bottom inside the two sunkersWhen straight through the Channel to Toslow we'll go.