New York Girls

"New York Girls", also known as "Can't You Dance the Polka," is a traditional sea shanty. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 486.

The lyrics have many variations, but almost all versions contain this chorus, sung after each verse:

And away, you Santee
My dear Annie
Oh, you New York girls
Can't you dance the polka?

An less common alternate chorus is:

And away, you Johnny
My dear honey
Oh, you New York girls
You love us for our money

The lyrics are often a cautionary tale of a sailor being tricked by a pretty girl, who ends up spending all of his money and, in some cases, robbing him. This is summed up in these verses found in some versions:

So come all you bully sailormen, take warning when ashore
Or else you'll meet some charming girl who's nothing but a whore
Your hard-earned cash will disappear, your rig and boots as well
For Yankee girls are tougher than the other side of Hell

The song has been recorded by many artists:

...
Wikipedia