A halyard chanty probably stemming from the Black Ball Line. The Black Ball Line was the name of two competing packet sailing companies in the 19th century. The first, founded in 1817 in New York, and the second, founded in 1851 in Liverpool. These packet ships were infamous for keeping to their disciplined schedules. This often involved harsh treatment of seamen and earned the ships the nickname, "bloodboats". The lyrics were printed in Laura Alexandrine Smith's large collection of sailors' songs, The Music of the Waters (1888). Like most chanties of this type, "Blow the Man Down" was sung to a flexible combination of customary verses, floating verses from within the general chanty repertoire, and verses improvised in the moment or peculiar to individual singers. The song was of indefinite length, and created by supplying solo verses to an invariable two-part refrain. Recorded by Burl Ives, The Hardtackers and just about every other group who sings chanties and sea songs.