Motley Words

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan-heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser round the Horn.

Once there wuz a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
For the Colonies and for ‘Frisco and for France (France, France),
So I shipped aboard a Limey barque the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
An’ got paralytic drunk on my advance (‘vance, ‘vance),
(Chorus)
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan-heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser round the Horn.

Now some of our fellers had bin drinkin‘, (Drinkin)
An’ I meself wuz heavy on the booze; (Booze, Booze)
An’ I wuz on me ol’ sea-chest a-thinkin‘ (Thinking)
I’d turn into me bunk an’ have a snooze. (Snooze, Snooze)
(Chorus)

Twas on the quarterdeck where first I saw ’em, (Saw-em)
Such an ugly bunch I’d niver seen afore; (For For)
For there wuz a bum an’ stiff from every quarter, (Quarter)
An’ it made me poor ol’ heart feel sick an’ sore. (Sore sore)
(Chorus)

There wuz Spaniards an’ Dutchmen an’ Rooshians, (Rooshians)
An’ Johnny Crapoos jist acrosst from France; (France, France)
An’ most o’ ’em couldn’t speak a word o’ English, (English)
But answered to the name of ‘Month’s Advance’. (VanceVance)
(Chorus)

I axed the mate a-which a-watch wuz mine-O, (mine Oh)
Sez he, ‘I’II soon pick out a-which is which‘; (Which, Which)
An’ he blowed me down an’ kicked me hard a-stern-O, (Stern Oh)
Callin’ me a lousy, dirty son-o’-a-     (Fe-male Dog)
(Chorus)

I quickly made me mind up that I’d jump ‘er, (Jump ‘er)
I’d leave the beggar an’ git a job ashore; (Shore, Shore)
I swum across the Bay an’ went an’ left ‘er, (Left ‘er)
An’ in the English Bar I found a   (Lady of ill repute)
(Chorus)

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan-heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser, We’re bound for Valaparaiser, We’re
bound for Valaparaiser,  round the horn.