‚Twas a cold an‘ dreary morning in December,
an‘ all of me money, it was spent,
where it went o, Lord, I can’t remember,
so down to the sipping office went.
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Paddy lay back, take in yer slack,
take a turn around the capstan, heave a pawl.
‚Bout ships stations boys be handy,
for we’re bound for Valaparaiso round the Horn.
Now I joined her on a cold December morning,
a-frappin‘ o‘ me flippers to keep me warm.
With the south cones a-hoisted as a warnin‘,
to stand by the comin‘ of a storm.
Refrain
‚Twas on the quarterdeck where first I saw ‘em,
such an ugly bunch I’d never seen before,
for there wuz a bum and a stiff from every quarter,
an‘ it made me poor old heart feel sick an‘ sore.
Refrain
Now some of our fellers had been drinkin‘,
an‘ I meself wuz heavy with the booze.
an‘ I sat on me ol‘ sea-chest a-thinkin‘,
I’d turn into me bunk and have a snooze.
Refrain
I woke up in the mornin‘ sick an‘ sore,
an‘ I know I wuz outward bound again,
when I heard a voice a-bawling at the door,
„Lay aft, men, an‘ answer to yer names!“
Refrain
There were Spaniards an‘ Dutchmen an‘ Rooshiens,
and Johnny Crapoos just across from France,
an‘ none of ‘em couldn’t speak a word of English,
but answered to the name of „Month’s Advance“.
Refrain
I wish that I wuz in the „Jolly Sailor“
alon with Irish Kate a-drinking beer,
an‘ then I thought what jolly chaps were sailors,
an‘ with me flipper I wiped away a tear.
Refrain