MAGGIE MAY
Now you jolly sailor lads, come listen to my tale I'm sure you will have cause to pity me,
I was a damned young fool in the port of Liverpool when I called there on my first port home from sea.
Maggie, Maggie May they have taken her away
To slave upon Van Dieman's cruel shore.
You robbed so many whalers and dosed so many sailors
But you'll never cruise 'round Peter Street no more.
I was staying at the home, from a voyage to Sierre Leone and two-pound-ten a month was all my pay,
As I jingled with my tin, I was easy taken in by a little girl up there called Maggie May.
I'll never forget the day when I first met Maggie May she was standing on a corner at Canning Place,
In a full-sized crin-o-line, like a frigate of the line and as she saw I was a sailor I gave chase.
She gave me a saucy nod, and I, like a farmer's clod let her take me line abreast in tow,
And under all plain sail, we ran before the gale and to the Crow's Nest Tavern we did go.
Next morning when I woke, I found that I was broke no shoes or shirt or trousers could I find,
When I asked her where they were, she answers "My dear sir they're down in Lewis' pawnshop number nine."
So to Lewis' I did go, but no clothing could I find and the policeman took that wicked girl away,
And the judge he guilty found her, of robbing a homeward-bounder and now she's doing time in Botany Bay.
She was chained and sent away from Liverpool one day the lads all cheered as she sailed down the bay,
And every sailor lad, he only was too glad they'd sent that old whore out to Botany Bay
British Man O' War
It was down in yonder meadow, I carelessly did stray,
There I beheld a lady fair, all with a sailor gay,
He said, my lovely fair maid,I soon must leave this shore,
To cross the briny ocean in a British Man-of-War.
Fair Susan fell to weeping young sailor" she did say,
Do not be so venturesome, as to throw your life away,
For when that I am twenty-one I shall receive my store,
So I pray you do not venture on a British Man-of-War.
Susan lovely Susan, the truth to you I'll tell,
The British Flag insulted is, all England knows it well,
I may be crowned with laurels,all like some jolly tar,
So I'll face the walls of China in a British Man-of-War.
Do not be so venturesome as to face the cruel Chinese,
For they will prove as treacherous as any Portuguese,
And by some deadly dagger you may receive a scar,
So William do not venture on a British Man-of-War.
Susan lovely Susan, the time will quickly pass.
Will you come to the Ferry-House to take a parting glass?
For my ship-mates they are ready to row me from the shore,
And I'll fight for England's' glory in a British Man-of-War.
Then he took out his handkerchief and he tore it clean in two,
Saying, take this dearest Susan and I'll do the same by you.
When the bullets they surround me and the cannons they do roar,
I'll fight for fame and Susan on a British Man-of-War.
The Dreadnought
There's a flash packet, a flash packet of fame,
She belongs to New York and the Dreadnought's her name;
She's bound to the westward where the strong winds blow,
Bound away in the Dreadnought, to the westward we go.
The time for her sailing is now drawing nigh,
Farewell, pretty May, I must bid you goodbye,
Farewell to old England and all we hold dear,
Bound away in the Dreadnought, to the westward we'll steer.
O, the Dreadnought is pulling out of Waterloo Dock,
Where the boys and the girls to the pierheads do flock;
They will give us three cheers while their tears do flow,
Saying, "God bless the Dreadnought, where'er she may go!"
O, the Dreadnought is waiting in the Mersey so free,
Waiting for the Independence to tow her to sea;
For around that Rock Light where the Mersey does flow,
Bound away in the Dreadnought, to the westward we'll go.
O, the Dreadnought's bowling down the wild Irish Sea,
Where the passengers are merry, their hearts full of glee,
While her sailors like lions walk the decks to and fro,
She's the Liverpool packet, O Lord, let her go!
O, the Dreadnought's sailing the Atlantic so wide,
While the dark, heavy seas roll along her black sides,
With her sails neatly spread and the red cross to show,
She's the Liverpool packet, O Lord, let her go!
O, the Dreadnought's becalmed on the banks of Newfoundland,
Where the water's so green and the bottom is sand;
Where the fish of the ocean swim round to and fro,
She's the Liverpool packet, O Lord, let her go!
O, the Dreadnought's arrived in America once more,
Let's go ashore, shipmates, on the land we adore,
With wives and sweethearts so happy we'll be,
Drink a health to the Dreadnought, wherever she be.
Here's a health to the Dreadnought, to all her brave crew,
Here's a health to her captain, and her officers, too,
Talk about your flash packets, Swallowtail and Black Ball,
Then, here's to the Dreadnought, the packet to beat them all.
Farewell To Grogg
Come, messmates, pass the bottle 'round our time is short, remember,
For our grogg must stop, our spirits drop on the first day of September.
For tonight we'll merry, merry be,for tonight we'll merry, merry be tomorrow we'll be sober.
Farewell old rye, 'tis a sad, sad word but alas it must be spoken,
The ruby cup must be given up and the demijohn be broken.
Jack's happy days will soon be gone to return again never!
For they've raised his pay five cents a day but stopped his grogg forever.
Yet memory oft' will backward turn and dwell with fondness partial,
On the days when gin was not a sin nor cocktails brought court martial.
All hands to split the main brace, call but split it now in sorrow,
For the spirit-room key will be laid away forever, on tomorrow.
What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning.
Way-hay, up she rises way-hay, up she rises,
Way-hay, up she rises early in the morning.
Put him in the long boat until he's sober
Put him in the long boat until he's sober
Early in the morning.
Pull out the bung and wet him all over
Pull out the bung and wet him all over
Early in the morning.
Put him in the scuppers with the deck pump on him
Put him in the scuppers with the deck pump on him
Early in the morning.
Heave him by the leg in a running bowling
Heave him by the leg in a running' bowling
Early in the morning.
Tie him to the taffrail when she's yard-arm under
Tie him to the taffrail when she's yard-arm under
Early in the morning.
Put him in the bilge and make him drink it,
Put him in the bilge and make him drink it,
Early in the morning.
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Early in the morning.
Soak him in oil till he sprouts some flippers,
Soak him in oil till he sprouts some flippers,
Early in the morning.
Put him in bed with the Captain's daughter,
Put him in bed with the Captain's daughter
Early in the morning
Why Should We Quarrel For Riches
How pleasant a sailor's life passes who roams o'er the watery main!
No treasure he ever amasses but cheerfully spends all his gain.
We're strangers to party and faction to honour and honesty true;
And would not commit a bad action for power or profit in view.
Then why should we quarrel for riches or any such glittering toys;
A light heart, and a thin pair of breeches will go through the world, my brave boys!
The world is a beautiful garden enriched with the blessings of life,
The toiler with plenty rewarding which plenty too often breeds strife.
When terrible tempests assail us and mountainous billows affright,
No grandeur or wealth can avail us but skilful industry steers right.
Then why should we quarrel for riches or any such glittering toys;
A light heart, and a thin pair of breeches will go through the world, my brave boys!
The courtier's more subject to dangers who rules at the helm of the state,
Than we that, to politics strangers escape the snares laid for the great.
The various blessings of nature in various nations we try;
No mortals than us can be greater who merrily live till we die.
Then why should we quarrel for riches or any such glittering toys;
A light heart, and a thin pair of breeches will go through the world, my brave boys!
A Drop Of Nelson's Blood
A drop of Nelsons blood, wouldn't do us any harm,
A drop of Nelsons blood, wouldn't do us any harm,
A drop of Nelsons blood, wouldn't do us any harm,
An we'll all hang on behind
So we'll roll the old chariot along,
So we'll roll the old chariot along,
So we'll roll the old chariot along,
An we'll all hang on behind!
A plate of Irish stew, wouldn't do us any harm
A nice fat cook, wouldn't do us any harm
A roll in the clover, wouldn't do us any harm
A long spell in the gaol a nice watch below a night with the gals
We'd be alright if we make it 'round the horn
We'd be alright if the wind was in our sails
Well, a night on the town wouldn't do us any harm
If the Devil's in the way, We'll roll right over him!
We'll be all right when the skipper's in his grave
A sticker on the face wouldn’t do us any harm
Ten Thousand Miles Away
Sing Ho! for a brave and a valiant bark, and a brisk and lively breeze,
A jovial crew and a Captain too, to carry me over the seas,
To carry me over the seas, my boys, to my true love so gay,
She has taken a trip on a gallant ship ten thousand miles away.
So blow the winds, Heigh-ho; roving I will go,
I'll stay no more on England's shore, So let the music play!
I'll start by the morning train, to cross the raging main,
For I'm on the move to my own true love, ten thousand miles away.
My true love, she is beautiful, my true love she is young;
Her eyes are as blue as the violet's hue, and silvery sounds her tongue
And silvery sounds her tongue, my boys, but while I sing this lay,
She is doing the grand in a distant land, ten thousand miles away
That was a dark and dismal day when last she left the strand
She bade good-bye with a tearful eye, and waved her lily hand -
And waved her lily hand, my boys, as the big ship left the bay
"Adieu" says she, "remember me, ten thousand miles away."
If I could be but a bo' s'n bold, or only a bombadier,
I'd hire a boat and hurry afloat, and straight to my true love steer
And straight to my true love steer, my boys, where the dancing dolphins play,
And the whales and the sharks are having their larks, ten thousand miles away.
The sun may shine through a London fog. and the Thames run bright and clear,
The oceans' brine be turned to wine, and I may forget my beer -
And I may forget my beer, my boys, and the landlord's quarter-day;
But I'll never part from my own sweetheart, ten thousand miles away!
The Cliffs Of Old Tynemouth
The Cliffs of Old Tynemouth they're wild and they're sweet,
And dear are the waters that roll at their feet;
And the old ruined Abbey, it ne'er shall depart;
It is the star of my fancy, the home of my heart.
It was there that my childhood fled cheerful and gay,
There I loitered the morning of boyhood away,
And now as I wander the old beach alone,
The waves seem to whisper the names that are gone.
It was there with my Alice I walked hand-in-hand,
While the wild waves in moonlight leapt o'er the bright sand;
And sweet were the echoes of the dark Cliffs above,
But sweeter her voice as she murmured her love.
On thy waters, Old Tynemouth, throng seamen as brave
As e'er cheered in the battle, or conquered the wave;
And for sweet pretty maidens, seek England around,
Near the Cliffs of Old Tynemouth the fairest are found.
Other lands may be fairer, but nought can be seen,
Like the shore where our first love and boyhood have been;
Give me the Cliffs and the wild roaring sea
The Cliffs of old Tynemouth for ever for me.
Warlike Seamen
Come all you warlike seamen that to the seas belong,
I'll tell you of a fight my boys on board the Nottingham,
It's of a Irish captain his name was Somerville,
With courage bold did he control he played his part full well.
It was on the Eighth of June my boys when at Spithead we lay,
On board there came an order our anchor for to weigh,
Bound for the coast of Ireland our orders did run so,
There to cruise and not refuse against our daring foe.
We had not sailed many lengths at sea before a ship we spied,
She being some lofty Frenchman come a-bearing down so wide,
She hailed us in French my boys and asked from where we came,
Our answer was from Liverpool and London is our name.
Pray are you some man of war pray what may you be,
Then replied our captain oh that you soon shall see,
Come strike your English colours or else you shall bring to,
Since you're so stout you shall give out or else we will sink you.
The first broadside we gave to them it made them for to wonder,
Their rigging and their mainmast came rattling down like thunder,
We drove them to their quarter they could no longer stay,
Our guns did roar we made so sure we showed them British play.
So now we've took that ship my boys God speed us fair wind,
That we might sail to Plymouth town if the heavens prove so kind,
We'll drink a health unto our captain and all such warlike souls,
To him we'll drink and never flinch out of our flowing bowl.
All Around My Hat
My love she was fair and my love she was kind too
And many were the happy hours, between my love and me
I never could refuse her, whatever she'd a mind to
And now she's far away, far o'er the stormy sea.
All 'round my hat I will wear a green willow
All 'round my hat for a twelve month and a day
If anybody asks me the reason why I wear it
It's all because my true love is far, far away.
Will my love be true and will my love be faithful?
Or will she find another swain to court her where she's gone?
The men will all run after her, so pretty and so graceful
And leave me here lamenting, lamenting all alone.
My love she was fair, and my love she was kind
And cruel the judge and jury that sentenced her away
For thieving was a thing that she never was inclined to
They sent my love across the sea ten thousand miles away.
Farewell He
Fare thee well cold winter and fare thee well cold frost
Nothing have I gained but my own true love I've lost
I'll sing and I'll be merry when occasion I do see
He's a false deluding young man, let him go, farewell he.
The other night he brought me a fine diamond ring
But he thought to have deprived me of a far better thing
But I being careful like lovers ought to be
He's a false deluding young man, let him go, farewell he
Here's a half a pound of reason, and a quarter pound of sense
A small sprig of thyme and as much of prudence
You mix them all together and you will plainly see
He's a false deluding young man, let him go, farewell he.
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