"And now we come to the 'Johnny' song that usually ended the voyage — 'Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her!' Collectors give pumps and halyards alike as the job it was used for. Terry and Whall call it a hauling song; Miss Colcord and Doerflinger give it for pumps. I think they are all right. It was probably sung at halyards with two solos and refrains, and when a full chorus was added then it was used at the pumps and even capstan. I learnt it partly from my mother's father, and he always sang the full chorus, and partly from an old Irish sailor, who also used the final chorus. It probably came to life about the time of the Irish potato famine, in the forties, and was originally sung in the Western Ocean Packets. The later version 'Leave Her, Johnnies' or as some sang it 'Leave Her, Bullies' was sometimes sung during the voyage — at the pumps — but its better-known function was that of airing grievances just prior to the completion of the voyage either when warping the vessel in through the locks or at the final spell of the pumps after the vessel had docked. Many unprintable stanzas were sung, directed at the afterguard, the grub, and the owners. Bullen writes that: 'to sing it before the last day or so was almost tantamount to mutiny.'"