The Boatswain’s Whistle
Life is chequer’d—toil and pleasure
Fill up all the various measure.
See the crew in flannel jerkins
Drinking, toping flip by firkins;
And as they raise the tip
To their happy lip,
On the deck is heard no other sound,
But prithee Jack, Prithee Dick,
Prithee Sam, Prithee Tom,
Let the can go round.
Chorus.
Then hark to the Boatswain’s whistle, whistle!
Then hark to the Boatswain’s whistle, whistle!
Bustle, bustle, brave boys,
Let us sing, let us toil,
But let’s drink all the while,
For labour’s the price of our joys,
For labour’s the price of our joys.
Life is chequer’d—toil and pleasure
Fill up all the various measure:
Hark! the crew with sun-burnt faces,
Chanting Black-ey’d Susan’s graces;
And as they raise their notes
Thro’ their rusty throats
On the deck is heard no other sound,
But prithee Jack, prithee Dick,
Prithee Sam, prithee Tom,
Let the can go round.
Then hark, etc.
Life is chequer’d—toil and pleasure
Fill up all the various measure.
Hark! the crew their cares discarding
With huffe-cap or with chuck-farthing:
Still in merry pin
Let ’em lose or win,
On the deck is heard no other sound
But prithee Jack, prithee Dick,
Prithee Sam, prithee Tom,
Let the can go round.
Then hark, etc.