Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
Sing fal de-ral laddie right fal de-ral day
Fal de-ral laddie right fal de-ral day

While cruising round Yarmouth one day on a spree
I met a fair damsel, the wind blowing free
I'm a fast-going clipper, my kind sir, says she
I'm ready for cargo, my hold is quite free

What country she come from I could not tell which
But by her appearance I thought she was Dutch
And her flag wore its colours, her masthead was low
She was round in the quarter and bluff in the bow

I gave her my rope and I took her in tow
Yardarm to yardarm towing we'd go
We both towed together till we came to the head
We both towed together through to Calgary Bay

She took me upstairs and her tops'l she lowered
In a neat little parlour she soon had me moored
She laid in the foresails, the staysails and all
With her lily-white hand let me reef-tackle fall

The watch being ended I said, Maid give o'er
'Twixt wind and water you've run me ashore
My shot-locker's empty, my coal is all spent
I can't fire a shot for it's choked at the vent

Well here's luck to that girl with the black curly locks
Here's luck to that girl who ran Jack on the rocks
Here's luck to the doctor who eased all his pain
He squared his main yards - he's a-cruising again

As sung by Louis Killen