Forecastle song
When the anchor's weigh'd and ship's unmoored,
And the landsmen lag behind, sir,
The sailor joyful skips aboard,
And, swearing, prays for wind, sir!
Towing here,
Yehoing there,
Steadily, readily,
Cheerily, merrily,
Still from care and thinking free,
Is a sailor's life at sea
When we sail with a fresh'ning breeze,
And the landsmen all grow sick, sir,
The sailor lolls, with his mind at ease,
And the song and the can go quick, sir!
Laughing here,
Quaffing there,
Steadily, readily,
Cheerily, merrily,
Still from care and thinking free,
Is a sailor's life at sea.
When the wind at night whistles o'er the deep,
And sings to the landsmen dreary,
The sailor fearless goes to sleep,
Or takes his watch most cheery!
Boozing here,
Snoozing there,
Steadily, readily, etc.
When the sky grows black and the wind blows hard,
And the landsmen skulk below, sir,
Jack mounts up to the top-sail yard,
And turns his quid as he goes, sir!
Hauling here,
Bawling there,
Steadily, readily, etc.
When the foaming waves run mountains high,
And the landsmen cry, "All's gone, sir,"
The sailor hands 'twixt sea and sky,
And he jokes with Davy Jones, sir!
Dashing here,
Clashing there,
Steadily, readily, etc.
When the ship, d'ye see, becomes a wreck,
And the landsmen hoist the boat, sir,
The sailor scorns to quit the deck,
While a single plank's afloat, sir!
Swearing here,
Tearing there,
Steadily, readily, etc.