Paddy Lay Back
Paddy Lay Back
It was a cold and dreary morning in December (December)
And all of me money it was spent (spent, spent)
Where it went to, I can’t remember (remember)
So down to the shipping office I went (went went)
<Paddy lay back, (Paddy lay back)
Take in your slack (take in your slack)
Take a turn around your capstan heave a pawl.
'Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy!)
We’re bound for Valparaiso ‘round the horn>
Well it seems there was a great demand for sailors (for sailors)
For the colonies, and for Frisco and for France (France, France)
Well, I shipped aboard the limey barque the Hotspur (the Hotspur)
And got paralytic drunk on my advance (my ad-vance)
<...>
Well, I woke up in the morning stiff and sore (sore)
And I knew that I was outward bound again (bound again)
And a voice come a-bawling at the door (door)
Lay aft men, and answer to your name (to your name)
<...>
Now it was on the quarter deck when first I seen ‘em (seen ‘em)
Such an ugly bunch I never seen before (seen before)
Cause there was a bum and stiff from every quarter (quarter)
And it made my poor old heart feel sick and sore (sore, 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 axed the mate a-which a-watch wuz my watch,
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.
<...>
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 an English Bar I found a whore.
<...>
But in Chile they knew a thing or two, sir,
An' soon they'd shipped me outward bound again;
On a Limey to the Chinchas for guanner,
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.
<...>