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It's of a pretty female |
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As you may understand. |
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Her mind being bent for rambling |
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Unto some foreign land, |
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She dressed herself in sailor's clothes, |
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Or so it does appear, |
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And she hired with a captain |
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To serve him for a year. |
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[The captain's wife she being on board, |
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She seemed in great joy |
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To think the captain had engaged |
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Such a handsome cabin boy, |
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That now and then she'd slip him a kiss, |
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And she'd have liked to toy, |
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But 'twas the captain found out the secret |
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Of the handsome cabin boy.] |
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Her cheeks they were like roses |
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And her hair rolled in a curl. |
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The sailors often smiled and said |
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He looked just like a girl. |
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But eating of the captain's biscuit |
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Her colour did destroy, |
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And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, |
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The handsome cabin boy. |
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It was in the bay of Biscay |
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Our gallant ship did plow. |
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One night among the sailors |
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Was a fearful flurry and row.* |
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They tumbled from their hammocks |
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For their sleep it did destroy, |
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And they sworn about the groaning |
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Of the handsome cabin boy. |
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'Oh doctor, dear, oh doctor,' |
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The cabin boy did cry. |
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'My time has come, I am undone, |
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And I will surely die.' |
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The doctor come a-runnin' |
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And a-smilin' at the fun. |
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To think a sailor lad should have |
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A daughter or a son. |
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The sailors when they saw the joke |
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They all did stand and stare. |
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The child belonged to none of them, |
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They solemnly did swear. |
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The captain's wife, she says to him, |
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'My dear, I wish you joy, |
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For 'tis either you or me's betrayed |
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The handsome cabin boy!' |
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[Now sailors, take your tot of rum |
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And drink success to trade, |
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And likewise to the cabin boy |
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That was neither man nor maid. |
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Here's hoping the wars don't rise again |
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Our sailors to destroy, |
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And here's hoping for a jolly lot more |
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Like the handsome cabin boy.] |