This song was composed by the crew of the Druid after their rescue from her demise in an 1878 gale. The crew cut away the masts during a hurricane, and when weather moderated, abandoned ship. The crew's dissatisfaction may stem from an earlier collision with an American cruiser. The Lunenberg schooner was captained by Charles Smeltzer and then Matthew Smeltzer. Jimmy Jackson would seem to be a fake name for William N. Zwicker, the ship's owner.
The rhythm varies and some measures are rendered in half-spoken, almost conversational fashion.
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I'll sing you a song of a schooner of fame, In Lunenburg owned and the Druid her name; Jimmy Jackson her owner, a miser was he, Too greedy to fit out his vessel for sea.
So Lunenburg boys, keep steady, And still your rights maintain, For Jackson swears he'll never send The Druid to sea again!
With a fair, pleasant breeze we crossed the Gulf Stream, Not knowing the danger was lurking at sea; When off of Bermuda the barometer fell, and warned us all to prepare for a gale.
Our captain came for'ard, his orders to give; Nail up your forequarters and aft we will live In God is our trust, for the gale is at hand. Get ready, my boys, by the mainmast to stand!
The wind from the northeast blew a terrific blast, which caused us poor sailors to cut away the mainmast. The then tried our pumps and we found that she leaked; The water she made was dreadful to speak.