Now, come all you young sailors and listen to me,
Sure I'll tell you a story all about the 'igh sea.
Well, it ain't very short nor it's not very long,
It's of a flying-fish sailor bound 'ome from Hong Kong
With your fol the diddle lol diddy, fol the diddle lol diddy,
Fol the diddle lol diddy, hay hay, hay,
Fol the diddle lol diddy, fol the diddle lol diddy,
Fol the diddle lol diddy, hood le dum day!
Now, as we went a-walking down Rat'liffe Highway,
Well, a flash-lookin' packet we chanced for to see.
She was bowling along with the wind blowing free,
And she clewed up her courses and waited for me.
Now, she 'ad up no colors, no flags did she show;
She was round in the counter and bluff in the bow.
Where she did 'ail from I could not tell,
But I threw out my flipper and we're both bound to hell!
Now, into a snug little corner, oh, soon we did moor,
Just be'ind the little table around the door.
We eat there and drank till we nearly did bust,
Then she let out first with her Irishman's roar, etc.
I'll bring you silk dresses and all that I know,
Fine gold rings and stones from the islands, you know.
I'll bring you home plenty of money to spend,
If you'll only wait till I do return.
Oh, as I went a-walking down Ratcliffe Highway,
I spied a flash packet, 'er wind blowing free.
She 'ad up no colors, no flag did she fly.
I could tell she was Dutch by the cut of 'er jib.
Singing tu-re-lye-laddie, tu-re-lye-laddie,
Sing tu-re-lye-laddie, I-tu-re-lye-lay.
I hailed her in English; she answered me so:
"I'm from the Blue Anchor bound to the Brown Bear."
I tipped her my flipper, I took her in tow,
And it's yardarm to yardarm together we go
Oh I've fought with the Russians, the Prussians also,
I've fought Johnny Bull and Johnny Crapaud,
But of all the sights that I ever did see-
She beat all the sights of the heathen Chinese.