"Leave her, Johnny" is a terrific song that I love belting out and now (2006) often use to finish a performance. I had always known about this song but it first took on a personal meaning after singing it for the first time together with some 50-60 professional and semi-professional folk singers to conclude the 2002 Vegesack Festival Maritim. I had the special pleasure of roaring it at the backs of the heads of my heroes, Stormalong John, Liverpool, at a distance of less than 12 inches. With me on the stage was Nina Kreft, the only lady. We promptly took it into our repertoire and we used it to conclude my final Ceilidh in 2003. The lyrics that we then we used and that I still use can be found in Roy Palmer's The Oxford Book of Sea Songs. This song may be found in the Tyneside Maritime Chorus songbook

Lyrics