Blow The Man Down
Come all ye young fellows that follow the sea To me weigh hey blow the man down And pray pay attention and listen to me Give me some time to blow the man down I’m a deep water sailor just in from Hong Kong To me weigh hey blow the man down If you’ll give me some rum I’ll sing you a song Give me some time to blow the man down T’was on a Black Baller I first spent my time To me weigh hey blow the man down And on that Black Baller I wasted my prime Give me some time to blow the man down T’is when a Black Baller’s preparing for sea To me weigh hey blow the man down You’d split your sides laughing at the sights that you see Give me some time to blow the man down With the tinkers and tailors and soldiers and all To me weigh hey blow the man down That ship for prime seamen onboard a Black Ball Give me some time to blow the man down T’is when a Black Baller is clear of the land To me weigh hey blow the man down Our boatswain then gives us the word of command Give me some time to blow the man down Lay aft is the cry to the break of the poop To me weigh hey blow the man down Or I’ll help you along with the toe of my boot Give me some time to blow the man down T’is larboard and starboard on the deck you will sprawl To me weigh hey blow the man down For Kicking Jack Williams commands the Black Ball Give me some time to blow the man down Aye first it’s a fist and then it’s a pall To me weigh hey blow the man down When you ship as a sailor aboard the Black Ball Give me some time to blow the man down Blow the man down blow the man down Give me some time to blow the man downA Whale Of A Tale
Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads A whale of a tale or two ‘Bout the flapping fish and girls I’ve loved On nights like this with the moon above A whale of a tale and it’s all true, I swear by my tattoo There was Mermaid Minnie Met her down in Madagascar She would kiss me Anytime that I would ask her Then one evening Her flame of love blew out Blow me down and pick me up, She swapped me for a trout! Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads A whale of a tale or two ‘Bout the flapping fish and girls I’ve loved On nights like this with the moon above A whale of a tale and it’s all true, I swear by my tattoo There was Typhoon Tessie Met her on the coast of Java When we kissed I Bubbled up like molten lava Then she gave me The scare of my young life Blow me down, and pick me up She was the captain’s wife! Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads A whale of a tale or two ‘Bout the flapping fish and girls I’ve loved On nights like this with the moon above A whale of a tale and it’s all true, I swear by my tattoo Then there was Harpoon Hannah Had a look that spelled out danger My heart quivered when she whispered, “I’m there, stranger” Bought her trinkets That sailors can’t afford (Sailors can’t afford) And when I spent my last red cent She tossed me overboard! Got a whale of a tale to tell ya, lads A whale of a tale or two ‘Bout the flapping fish and girls I’ve loved On nights like this with the moon above A whale of a tale and it’s all true,I swear by my tattoo!
Shiver Me Timbers
Shiver my timbers, shiver my sails Yo ho, heave ho There are men whose hearts as black as coal Yo ho, heave ho And they sailed their ship ‘cross the ocean blue A bloodthirsty captain and a cutthroat crew. It’s as dark a tale as was ever told Of the lust for treasure and the love of gold… Shiver my timbers, shiver my sides Yo ho, heave ho There are hungers as strong as the wind and tides Yo ho, heave ho And those buccaneers drowned there sins in rum The devil himself would have to call them scum! Every man on board would have killed his mate for a bag of guineas or a piece of eight, a piece of eight, a piece of eight Five, six, seven, eight Hulla wacka, ulla wacka, something not right Many wicked, icky things gonna happen tonight Hulla wacka, moola wacka, sailor man, beware When de money in de ground, there’s murder in the air, Murder in the air. One more time now Shiver my timbers, shiver my bones Yo ho, heave ho There are secrets that sleep with old Davy Jones Yo ho, heave ho When the mainsail’s set and the anchor’s weighed There’s no turning back from any course that’s laid And when greed and villainy sail the sea, You can bet your boots there’ll be treachery (Laughter) Shiver my timbers, shiver my sails Dead men tell no tales! Yo Ho, Ho! (And A Bottle Of Rum) Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. The mate was fixed by the bosun’s pike The bosun brained with a marlinspike And cookey’s throat was marked belike It had been gripped by fingers ten; And there they lay, all good dead men Like break o’day in a boozing ken. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Fifteen men of the whole ship’s list Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion’s axe his cheek had shore
And the scullion he was stabbed times four
And there they lay, and the soggy skies
Dripped down in up-staring eyes
In murk sunset and foul sunrise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Fifteen men of ’em stiff and stark
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ten of the crew had the murder mark!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
Or a yawing hole in a battered head
And the scuppers’ glut with a rotting red
And there they lay, aye, damn my eyes
Looking up at paradise
All souls bound just contrariwise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Fifteen men of ’em good and true
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ev’ry man jack could ha’ sailed with Old Pew,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
There was chest on chest of Spanish gold
With a ton of plate in the middle hold
And the cabins riot of stuff untold,
And they lay there that took the plum
With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb
While we shared all by the rule of thumb,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! More was seen through a sternlight screen…
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Chartings undoubt where a woman had been
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
‘Twas a flimsy shift on a bunker cot
With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot
And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot
Oh was she wench or some shudderin’ maid
That dared the knife and took the blade
By God! she had stuff for a plucky jade
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
We wrapped ’em all in a mains’l tight
With twice ten turns of a hawser’s bight
And we heaved ’em over and out of sight,
With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well
And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell
Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!