As I stepped out one evening upon a night's
career,
I spied a lofty clipper ship and after her I steered.
I hoisted up my sig-in-als which she quickly knew,
And when she saw my bunting rise, she immediately hove to.
(Chorus)
She'd a dark and rovin' eye,
And her hair hung down in ringlets.
She was a fine girl, a decent girl,
But one of the rakish kind.
Oh, sailor, please excuse me for being out
so late,
But if my parents knew of it, oh , sad would be my fate.
My father is a minister, a good and honest man.
My mother is a Puritan, so I do the best I can.
(Chorus)
I eyed that girl both up and down for I've
heard such talk before,
And when she moored herself to me, I knew she was a whore.
But still she was a pretty girl; she shyly hung her head.
"I'll go along with you, my lad" this to me she said.
(Chorus)
I took her to a nice hotel ; I knew she wouldn't
mind.
But little did I ever think she was one
of the rakish kind.
I handled her, I dandled her and learned to my surprise,
She was nothing but a fireship rigged up in a disguise.
(Chorus)
So up the stairs and into bed I took that maiden
fair.
I fired off my cannon into her thatch of hair.
I fired off a broadside until my shot was surely spent,
Then rammed that fireship’s waterline until my ram was bent.
(Chorus)
Then in the morning she was gone; my money
was gone too.
My clothes she’d hocked; my watch she stole; my sea bag was gone too.
But she’d left behind a souvenir, I’d have you all to know,
And in nine days, to my surprise, there was a fire down below.
(Chorus)
Now all you jolly sailormen who sail upon the
sea,
From England to far off Cathay take warning now from me.
Beware of them there fireships, they’ll be the ruin of all of you.
They’ll empty out your shot locker and pick your pocket too.
(Chorus)