Victoria Nautical Song Circle's
December 2003 Song Of The Month


THE EBENEEZER

I shipped on board of the Ebeneezer
Every day was scrub and grease 'er.
Send us aloft to scrape 'er down
And if we growl they'll knock us down
 
Chorus:
Oh, get along boys, get along, do.
Handy, m'boys, be handy.
Get along boys, get along, do.
Handy, m'boys, be handy.
 
The Old Man was a drunken geezer
Couldn't sail the Ebeneezer
Learn't his trade on a Chinese junk
Spent most of his time, sir, in his bunk
 
Chorus:
 
Our first mate's name was Dickie Green, sir,
The dirtiest bugger you've ever seen, sir!
Walking the quarter in a bucko cap,
He thought himself no common chap.
 
Chorus:
 
A Boston buck was second greaser,
He used to ship in Limejuice greasers.
But the Limey packets got too hot;
So he made a jump at the Boston dock.
 
Chorus:
 
The Bosun came from Tenessee, sir
He always wore a Blackball cheeser
He had a girl in every port
At least that's what his missus thought
 
Chorus:
 
The Ebeneezer was so old, sir
She knew Columbus as a boy, sir
'Twas pump her, bullies, night and day
To help her get to Liverpool Bay
 
Chorus:
 
We had no spuds for our dinner,
As sure as I'm a living sinner;
Our bread was tough as any brass
And our meat was as salty as Lot's wife's ass
 
Chorus:
 

Taken from Shanteymen and Shantyboys, by Doerflinge with verses 2, 5 and 6 added from Hugill


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