Come
brave honest Jack tar, once more will you venture?
Press
warrants they are out; I
would have you to enter:
Take some rich
Spanish prize, as we've done
times before O
And be
cheated of all, as we were the last war O.
No man that sails with me shall e'er be abuséd
So, Jack come and enter; you shall be well uséd:
You'll be bo's'n's mate, Jack, so boldly come and enter
And be not like a dog hauled on board of the tender.
Dear captain, he said then, don't talk of your pressing
It's not long since I gave six of them dressing.
-I know very well, jack, the truth I must grant you;
-You're a brave, hearty fellow, that makes me to want you.
Dear captain, he said then, the truth I do tell you,
I got in the last war what quite filled my belly;
For your damned rogues of officers they used me so cruel
That a man-of-war ship's worse than hell or the devil.
The master's a-swearing, the bo's'n's a-growling
The midshipman a-howling out, Take that fore-bowling;
If you speak but one word, you're a mutinous rascal,
Your legs laid in irons and you're tried by court-martial.
Now, boys, we are pressed from our habitation,
We leave wife and children in grief and vexation;
We venture our sweet lives in defence of our nation,
And we get nothing for it but toil and vexation.
(English sea shanty -- original author unknown)