The Dreadnaught
Traditional:
courtesy of www.SailorSongs.com
There's a saucy wild packet, and a packet of fame;
She belongs to New York, and the Dreadnought's her name;
She is bound to the westward where the stormy winds blow;
Bound away in the Dreadnought, to the west'ard we'll go.
There time of her sailing is now drawing nigh;
Farewell, pretty May, I must bid you good-bye;
Farewell to old England and all there we hold dear,
Bound away in the Dreadnought, to the west'ard we'll steer.
Oh, the Dreadnought is pulling out of Waterlock dock,
Where the boys and girls to the pierheads do flock;
They will give us three cheers while their tears do flow,
Saying, "God bless the Dreadnought, where'er she may go!"
Oh, the Dreadnought is waiting in the Mersey so free,
Waiting for the Independence to tow her to sea,
For around that rock light where the Mersey does flow,
Bound away in the Dreamings, to the westward we'll go.
Oh, the Dreadnought's a-bowlin' down the wild Irish Sea,
Where the passengers are merry, their hearts full of glee,
While her sailors like lions walk the decks to and fro,
She's the Liverpool packet, oh, Lord, let her go!
Oh, the Dreadnought's a-sailing the Atlantic so wide,
While the dark, heavy seas roll along her black sides,
With her sails neatly spread, and the Red Cross to show,
She's the Liverpool packet, oh Lord, let her go!
Oh, the Dreadnought's becalmed on the banks of Newfoundland,
Where the water's so green and the bottom is sand;
Where the fish of the ocean swim round to and fro,
She's the Liverpool packet, oh Lord, let her go!
Oh, the Dreadnought, she's a-bowlin' past old Nantucket Head,
And the man in chains takes a cast with the lead,
The up jumps the flounder just fresh from the ground,
Crying, "Blast your eyes, Chucklehead and mind where you sound!"
Oh, the Dreadnought's arrived in America once more,
We'll go ashore, shipmates, on the land we adore,
See our wives and our sweethearts, be merry and free,
Drink a health to the Dreadnought, whereso'er she may be.
Here's a health to the Dreadnought, and to all her brave crew.
Here's a health to her captain and officers too.
Talk about your flash packets, Swallow Tail and Black Ball,
But the Dreadnought's the clipper to beat one and all.
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.
