Strike The Bell
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com - Scottish Traditional
Up on the poop deck and walking about
There is the second mate so steady and so stout
What he is a-thinking of he doesn't know himself
And we wish that he would hurry up and strike strike the bell
Chorus after each verse:
Strike the bell second mate let us go below
Look well to windward you can see it's gonna blow
Look at the glass, you can see it has fell
Oh we wish that you would hurry up
And strike strike the bell
Down on the main deck and working at the pumps
There is the larboard watch just longing for their bunks
Look out to windward, you can see a great swell
And we wish that you would hurry up and strike strike the bell
Forward on the forecastle head and keeping sharp lookout
There is Johnny standing, a- longing for to shout
Lights a - burning bright sir and everything is well
And he's wishing that the second mate would strike strike the bell
Aft at the wheelhouse old Anderson stands
Grasping at the helm with his frostbitten hands
Looking at the compass through the course is clear as hell
And he's wishing that the second mate would strike strike the bell
Aft on the quarter deck our gallant captain stands
Looking out to windward with a spyglass in his hand
What he is a-thinking of we know very well
He's thinking more of shortening sail
Than striking the bell
The author of this website has put a lot of time and effort into gathering the greatest collection of sea shanties for the world to enjoy - There are songs that have been to sung to a job of work at sea for many, many years and collecting them has been a great endeavour. - Roger Chartier has made the effort out of his own interest and the requests that he has gotten to do this work from fellow musicians who wanted a good source of sea shanties to draw on and learn from. He has been told that for this effort he is a remarkable man.
