Right, but none of those are metaphorical punishments. They’re just literal things that seem funny. And it’s a folk song, so the variations and intended meanings are as ephemeral as a game of telephone. Having one line about sleeping with the captain’s daughter might have been even more amusing (and thus more catchy) because of the double meaning.
I’m not saying that it’s not possible that your interpretation is correct, but I would imagine that your average deck hand singing sea shanties isn’t thinking metaphorically when he’s singing about getting drunk and laid. And insisting that the one line in the song isn’t about fucking is feels like wishful thinking rather than a devotion to historical accuracy.
Having one line about sleeping with the captain’s daughter might have been even more amusing (and thus more catchy) because of the double meaning.
Very likely, probably why the whole captain’s daughter = captain’s whip thing took off as sailor slang to begin with.
your average deck hand singing sea shanties isn’t thinking metaphorically when he’s singing about getting drunk and laid.
I never claimed it was a metaphor, it’s slang. Similarly, the “gunner’s daughters” were the gun barrels midships on gunships.
And insisting that the one line in the song isn’t about fucking is feels like wishful thinking
I mean, no skin off my nose if you believe that, but it seems pretty clear judging from the fact that the captain’s daughter is a well known slang term for a whip in a song about punishing a drunk that that is extremely likely the correct original intent. Of course anybody can interpret anything any way they want.
Think about it inside the context of the song. Every other line is a type of punishment:
Shave his belly with a rusty razor (painfully pull chest hair out with a dull blade)
Put him in a long boat till he’s sober (put him somewhere uncomfortably cramped on his own)
Give him a dose of salt and water (probably the nicest variation of the song, make him vomit)
Stick him in a scupper with a hosepipe on him (scupper= hole in the side of the ship, so stick his head in a hole and hit him with a hosepipe)
There’s also loads of other variations on the song with tons of different punishments for the drunken sailor.
Why would this line suddenly be different?
Right, but none of those are metaphorical punishments. They’re just literal things that seem funny. And it’s a folk song, so the variations and intended meanings are as ephemeral as a game of telephone. Having one line about sleeping with the captain’s daughter might have been even more amusing (and thus more catchy) because of the double meaning.
I’m not saying that it’s not possible that your interpretation is correct, but I would imagine that your average deck hand singing sea shanties isn’t thinking metaphorically when he’s singing about getting drunk and laid. And insisting that the one line in the song isn’t about fucking is feels like wishful thinking rather than a devotion to historical accuracy.
Very likely, probably why the whole captain’s daughter = captain’s whip thing took off as sailor slang to begin with.
I never claimed it was a metaphor, it’s slang. Similarly, the “gunner’s daughters” were the gun barrels midships on gunships.
I mean, no skin off my nose if you believe that, but it seems pretty clear judging from the fact that the captain’s daughter is a well known slang term for a whip in a song about punishing a drunk that that is extremely likely the correct original intent. Of course anybody can interpret anything any way they want.