Paddy, Lay Back
campfire
'Twas a cold and dreary morning in December, (December)
And all of me money it was spent, (spent, spent)
Where the hell it went I can't remember, (remember)
So down to the shippin' office I went, (went, went)
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back!)
Take in your slack (take in yer slack!)
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl (heave a pawl!)
About ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy!)
Raise tacks, sheets, and mains'l haul!
Alternate final line of chorus:
We're bound for Valaparaiso 'round the Horn!
That day there was a great demand for sailors, (for sailors)
For the Colonies, for 'Frisco and for France. (France, France)
I shipped aboard a Limey barque the Hotspur, (the Hotspur)
Got paralytic drunk on my advance. ( 'vance, 'vance)
chorus
I woke up in the morning sick and sore, boys, (sore, boys)
And knew that I was outward bound again. ( 'gain, 'gain)
I heard a voice a-bawling at the door, boys, (door, boys)
"Lay aft and answer to your name!" (name, name)
chorus
'Twas on the quarterdeck where first I saw them, (saw them)
An uglier bunch I'd never seen before. (see before)
The captain had shipped a Shanghaied crew of Dutchmen, (Dutchmen)
Made me poor old heart feel sick and sore. (sore, sore)
chorus
I asked the mate which watch was mine-O, (mine-O)
Said he'd soon see which watch was which. (which, which)
He tumbled me down and he kicked me hard astern-O, (stern-O)
- Called me a dirty, lousy son-of-a-...
chorus
'Twas then I made me mind up that I'd leave her, (leave her)
I'd jump the begger and live me life ashore. (life ashore)
I swum across the Bay and there I left her, (left her)
And in the English Bar I found an oar. (oar, oar)
chorus
Here we are once more again at sea, boys, (sea, boys)
Same old garbage, all over again. ( 'gain, 'gain)
Stamp the capstan 'round and make some noise, boys, (noise, boys)
Join me now in singing the old refrain. ( 'frain, 'frain)
chorus
Traditional
Lyrics from Shanties from the Seven Seas, by Stan Hugill
- 'Twas a cold an' dreary mornin' in December, (December)
- An' all of me money it was spent (it was spent),
- Where the hell it went I can't remember (remember),
- So down to the shippin' office I went, (went, went),
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan - heave a pawl - heave a pawl!
'Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
Raise tacks, sheets, an' mains'l haul!
Alternative final line of chorus:
We're bound for Valaparaiser 'round the Horn!
- That day there wuz a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
- For the Colonies and for 'Frisco and for France (an' for France),
- So I shipped aboard a Limey barque the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
- An' got paralytic drunk on my advance ('vance, 'vance),
- Now I joined her on a cold December mornin',
- A-frappin' o' me flippers to keep me warm.
- With the south cone a-hoisted as a warnin',
- To stand by the comin' 0' a storm.
- Now some of our fellers had bin drinkin',
- An' I meself wuz heavy on the booze;
- An' I wuz on me ol' sea-chest a-thinkin'
- I'd turn into me bunk an' have a snooze.
- I woke up in the mornin' sick an' sore,
- An' knew I wuz outward bound again;
- When I heard a voice a-bawlin' at the door,
- 'Lay aft, men, an' answer to yer names!'
- 'Twas on the quarterdeck where first I saw 'em,
- Such an ugly bunch I'd niver seen afore;
- For there wuz a bum an' stiff from every quarter,
- An' it made me poor ol' heart feel sick an' sore.
- There wuz Spaniards an' Dutchmen an' Rooshians,
- An' Johnny Crapoos jist acrosst from France;
- An' most o' 'em couldn't speak a word o' English,
- But answered to the name of 'Month's Advance'.
- I wisht I wuz in the 'Jolly Sailor',
- Along with Irish Kate a-drinkin' beer;
- An' then I thought what jolly chaps were sailors,
- An' with me flipper I wiped away a tear.
- I knew that in me box I had a bottle,
- By the boardin'-master 'twas put there;
- An' I wanted something for to wet me throttle,
- Somethin' for to drive away dull care.
- So down upon me knees I went like thunder,
- Put me hand into the bottom o' the box,
- An' what wuz me great surprise an' wonder,
- Found only a bottle o' medicine for the pox.
- I felt that I should skip an' join another,
- 'Twas plain that I had joined a lousy bitch;
- But the chances wuz that I might join a worser,
- An' we might git through the voyage without a hitch.
- I axed the mate a-which a-watch wuz mine-O,
- Sez he, 'I'II soon pick out a-which is which';
- An' he blowed me down an' kicked me hard a-stern-O,
- Callin' me a lousy, dirty son-o'-a-bitch.
- Now we singled up an' got the tugs alongside,
- They towed us through the locks an' out to sea;
- With half the crew a-pukin' o'er the ship's side,
- An' the bloody fun that started sickened me.
- Although me poor ol' head wuz all a-jumpin',
- We had to loose her rags the followin' morn;
- I dreamt the boardin'-master I wuz thumpin',
- When I found out he'd sent me around the Horn.
- I swore I would become a beachie-comber,
- An' niver go to sea no ruddy more;
- For niver did I want to be a roamer ,
- I'd shanghai the boardin'-master an' stay ashore.
- But when we got to bully ol' Vallaparaiser,
- In the Bay we dropped our mud hook far from shore;
- The ol' Man he refused ter let us raise 'er,
- An' he stopped the boardin'-masters comin' aboard.
- I quickly made me mind up that I'd jump 'er,
- I'd leave the beggar an' git a job ashore;
- I swum across the Bay an' went an' left 'er,
- An' in the English Bar I found a whore.
- But Jimmy the Wop he knew a thing or two, sir,
- An' soon he'd shipped me outward bound again;
- On a Limey to the Chinchas for guanner, boys,
- An' soon was I a-roarin' this refrain.
- So there wuz I once more again at sea, boys,
- The same ol' ruddy business over again;
- Oh, stamp the caps'n round an' make some noise, boys,
- An' sing again this dear ol' sweet refrain.