Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her 97
Oh the times was hard and the wages low, CCCC
Leave her, Johnny, leave her GGCC
And the grub was bad and the winds did blow CCCC
An’ it’s time for us to leave her GGCC
Leave her, Johnny, leave her GGCC
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her! FFCC
For the voyage is done an’ the winds don’t blow, CCCAm
An’ it’s time for us to leave her CGCC
The wind was foul an’ the sea ran high,
She shipped it green an’ none went by.
I hate to sail on this rotten tub,
No grog allowed and rotten grub!
It’s rotten beef an’ weev’ly bread,
It’s pump or drown the old man said.
The old man shouts, the pumps stand by,
Oh, we can never suck her dry.
Oh, sing that we boys will never be
In an hungry bitch the likes of she
We’d be better off in a nice clean gaol,
With all night in an’ plenty o’ ale!
The mate was a bucko an’ the old man a turk,
The bosun was a beggar with the middle name o’ work!
The cook’s a drunk, he likes to booze,
\&’tween him an’ the mate there’s little to choose!
The old man swears an’the mate swears too,
The crew all swears and so would you
We swear by rote for want o’ more,
But now we’re through so we’ll go on shore.
I thought I heard the old man say,
Tomorrow ye will get your pay!
Now I thought I hear the bosun say,
Just one more pull an’ then belay.
We’ll make her fast an’stow our gear
The gals are a-waitin on the pier