Print This Page#01096 Print This Page
When first I landed in Liverpool,
I went out on a spree;
Me money, alas, I spent it fast,
Got drunk as drunk could be.
And when me money was all gone,
'Twas then that I looked for more,
Oh, a man must be blind to make up his mind
To go to sea once more.
Once more, boys, once more, go to sea once more,
Oh, a man must be blind to make up his mind,
And go to sea once more.
That night I slept with Angeline,
Too drunk to roll in bed;
Me clothes were new, me money, too,
Next morning with them she fled.
As daily I walked the streets around,
You could hear the people roar,
Ah, there goes Jack Sprat, the old sailor lad,
He must go to sea once more.
Once more, boys, once more, go to sea once more,
Ah, there goes Jack Sprat, the old sailor lad,
He must go to sea once more.
Well, the next one that I came up to,
Was a man they called Rapper Brown;
When I asked him for to take me on,
On me he looked with a frown.
He said, "The last time you were paid off,
With me you settled no score;
But I'll take your advance and I'll give you a chance,
And I'll send you to sea once more."
Once more, boys, once more, send you to sea once more,
Well, I'll take your advance and I'll give you a chance,
And I'll send you to sea once more."
Well, he shipped me on board of a whaling ship,
A-bound for the Arctic Sea;
Oh, the wintry winds from west-nor-west,
Jamaica rum would freeze.
With a twenty foot oar on each man's hands,
Now we plough the lifelong day;
'Twas then that I swore when once on the shore,
That I'd go to sea no more.
No more, boys, no more, go to sea no more,
'Twas then that I swore when once on the shore,
That I'd go to sea no more.
So come all you bold, sea-faring men,
What's listenin' to me song;
And I hope that what I said to you,
That you won't find nothing wrong.
Oh, take my advice, don't drink strong beer,
Or go sleepin' on dirty old floors;
Ah, get married instead and spend all night in bed,
And go to sea no more.
No more, boys, no more, go to sea no more,
Get married instead and spend all night in bed,
And go to sea no more.
Ah, get married instead and spend all night in bed,
And go to sea no more.
This variant arranged and recorded by Ryan's Fancy (Songs From The Shows, trk#3, 2001, produced for CBC Television by Jack Kellum, and recorded at CBC Television Studios, St. John's, NL).
Liner Notes: vocal — Fergus O'Byrne.
"The dangers and distractions of shore leave often led to misadventure for many a hapless sailor. Sound advice is given in this song to other seafaring men, counsel that few sailors ever took to heart."
