The Greenwich Pensioner
’Twas in the good ship Rover,
I sailed the world all round,
And for three years and over
I ne’er touched British ground;
At length in England landed,
I left the roaring main,
Found all relations stranded,
And went to sea again,
And went to sea again.
That time bound straight for Portugal,
Right fore and aft we bore,
But when we made Cape Ortegal,
A gale blew off the shore;
She lay, so did it shock her,
A log upon the main,
Till, saved from Davy’s locker,
We put to sea again,
We put to sea again.
Next sailing in a frigate
I got my timber toe.
I never more shall jig it
As once I used to do;
My leg was shot off fairly,
All by a ship of Spain;
But I could swab the galley,
I went to sea again,
I went to sea again.
And still I am enabled
To bring up in the rear,
Although I’m quite disabled
And lie in Greenwich tier.
There’s schooners in the river
A riding to the chain,
But I shall never, ever
Put out to sea again,
Put out to sea again.
From A Sailor’s Garland.