Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her lyrics

Song information

Artist: The Woods Band
Album: Music From The Four Corners Of Hell

Lyrics

O the times are hard and the wages low
Leave her, johnny, leave her!
I think it's time for us to go!
An' it's time for us to leave her!

Leave her, johnny, leave her!
Oh, leave her, johnny, leave her!
For the voyage is done an' the winds don't blow
An' it's time for us to leave her!

O I thought I heard the old man say
Tomorrow ye will get your pay!

It's liverpool pat with his tarpaulin hat
It's yankee john the packet rat

It's rotten beef an' weev'ly bread
It's pump or drown the old man said

The wind was foul an' the sea ran high
She shipped it green an' none went by

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!

It's growl yer may an' go yer must
It matters not whether yer last or furst!

The cook's a drunk, he likes to booze
\&'tween him an' the mate there's little to choose!

I hate to sail on this rotten tub
No grog allowed and rotten grub!

The ship won't steer, or stay, or wear
An' so us shellbacks learnt to swear

No liverpool bread, nor rotten crackerhash
No dandyfunk, nor cold an' sloppy hash

The old man shouts, the pumps stand by
Oh, we can never suck her dry

Now I thought I hear the old man say
Just one more pull an' then belay

We swear by rote for want o' more
But now we're through so we'll go on shore