Forecastle Songs and Ballads

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

All For Me Grog

---

As sung by Captain Jesse Schaffer

It's all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog, All gone for beer and tobacco. Spent all me tin on the lassies drinking gin, And across the western ocean I must wander. Where are me boots, me noggy noggy boots, They've all gone for beer and tobacco. The leather's kicked about and the soles are all worn out, And my toes are looking out for better weather. Where is me shirt, me noggy noggy shirt, It's all gone for beer and tobacco. The collar's all worn out and the front is kicked about, And my tails are looking out for better weather. Where is me bed, me noggy noggy bed, It's all gone for beer and tobacco. I lent it to a whore and now it's all a-wore, And the springs are looking out for better weather. Where is me wench, me noggy noggy wench, She's all gone for beer and tobacco. Her lips are all worn out and her front is kicked about, And her tail is looking out for better weather. I feel sick in the head and I haven't been to bed, Since first I came ashore with me plunder. I see centipedes and snakes and I'm full of pains and aches, And I think that I should push out over yonder.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Mermaid

Lyrics as sung by Paul Clayton on Whaling And Sailing Songs
It was Friday morn when we set sail,
And we were not so far from the land,
When our captain, he spied a mermaid so fair,
With a comb and a glass in her hand.

Oh, the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
We old sailors are skipping at the top,
While the landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

And up spoke the captain of our gallant ship,
And a fine old man was he.
"This fishy mermaid has warned me of our doom,
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea."

And the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
And we old salts are sittin' at the top,
The landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

And up speaks the mate of our gallant ship,
And a well-spoken man was he,
"Oh, I have a wife in Salem by the sea,
And tonight a widow she will be."

Oh, the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
We brave tars are skipping at the top,
The landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

And up spoke the cabin-boy of our gallant ship,
And a brave young lad was he.
"Oh, I have a sweetheart in Plymouth by the sea,
And tonight she'll be weeping for me."

Oh, the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
And we old sailors are sitting at the top,
The landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

And up spoke the cook of our gallant ship,
And a crazy old butcher was he.
"Oh I care much more for my pots and my pans,
Than I do for the bottom of the sea."

Oh, the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
We old sailors are skipping at the top,
The landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

Then three times around spun our gallant ship,
And three times around spun she.
And three times around spun our gallant ship,
And she went to the bottom of the sea.

Oh, the ocean waves do roll,
And the stormy winds do blow.
We brave tars are skipping at the top,
The landlubbers lie down below, below, below,
Oh, the landlubbers lie down below.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Old Maui

Also known as "Rolling Down to Old Maui"
Lyrics from Shanties from the Seven Seas, by Stan Hugill
It's a damned tough life, full of toil and strife
We whalermen undergo.
And we don't give a damn when the gale has stopped
How hard the wind did blow.
We're homeward bound! 'Tis a grand old sound
On a good ship taut and free,
And we don't give a damn when we drink our rum
With the girls on old Maui.

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys,
Rolling down to old Maui.
We're homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling home to old Maui.

Once more we sail with a northerly gale
Through the ice and sleet and rain.
And them coconut fronds in them tropic lands
We soon shall see again.
Six hellish months we've passed away
In the cold Kamchatka sea,
And now we're bound from the arctic ground,
Rolling down to old Maui.

We'll heave the lead where old Diamondhead
Looms up on old Wahoo.
Our mast and yards are sheathed with ice
And our decks are hid from view.
The horrid tiles of the sea-cut ice
That deck the Arctic Sea
Are miles behind in the frozen wind
Since we steered for old Maui.

How soft the breeze of the tropic seas
Now the ice is far astern,
And them native maids in them island glades
Are awaiting our return.
Even now their big black eyes look out
Hoping some fine day to see
Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales
Rolling down to old Maui.

And now we sail with a favoring gale
Towards our island home.
Our mainmast sprung, our whaling done,
And we ain't got far to roam.
Our stuns'l booms are carried away
What care we for that sound?
A living gale is after us,
Thank God we're homeward bound!

Rolling down to old Maui, my boys,
Rolling down to old Maui.
We're homeward bound from the arctic ground
Rolling home to old Maui.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Banks of Sacramento

Lyrics from Iron Men & Wooden Ships, by Frank Shay
Sing and heave, and heave and sing,
To me hoodah! To my hoodah!
Heave and make the handspikes spring.
To me hoodah! To me hoodah!

And it's blow, boys, blow,
For Californi-o.
For there's plenty of gold,
So I've been told,
On the banks of the Sacramento.

From Limehouse Docks to Sydney Heads,
To me hoodah! To my hoodah!
Was never more than seventy days.
To me hoodah! To me hoodah!

And it's blow, boys, blow,
For Californi-o.
For there's plenty of gold,
So I've been told,
On the banks of the Sacramento.

We cracked it on, on a big skiute,
To me hoodah! To my hoodah!
And the old man felt like a swell galoot.
To me hoodah! To me hoodah!

And it's blow, boys, blow,
For Californi-o.
For there's plenty of gold,
So I've been told,
On the banks of the Sacramento.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Shenendoah

Lyrics as sung by Paul Clayton on Whaling And Sailing Songs, except for verse 2, which is from from Shanties from the Seven Seas, by Stan Hugill
Oh, Shenandoar, I love your daughter,
Away, you rolling river.
Oh Shenandoar, I want your daughter.
Away, I'm bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.

The Missouri, she's a mighty water,
Away, you rolling river.
The Indians camped along her border.
Away, I'm bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.

The trader loved the Indian maiden,
Away, you rolling river.
His canoe with dollars laden,
Away, I'm bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.

The chief disdained the trader's dollar,
Away, you rolling river.
My daughter you shall never follow,
Away, I'm bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.

He gave the chief some fire water,
Away, you rolling river.
And across the river he's stolen his daughter,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.

Oh Shenandoah, you've lost your daughter,
Away, you rolling river.
She's gone she's gone, where you can't follow,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide, wild Missouri.