Oh the work was hard and the wages low.
Leave her Johnny, Leave her.
I guess its time for us to go
And its time for us to leave her.
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
Oh I thought I heard the old man say,
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh tomorrow you will get your pay
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh, leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
The winds blew foul and the seas ran high.
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
We shipped up green and none went by
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
The mate was a bucco and the old man was a Turk.
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
And the boatswain was a begger with a middle name of work
And it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
The old man swears, and the mate swears too,
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
The crew all swear, and so would you
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And its time for us to leave her.
The starboard pump is like the crew
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
It's all worn out and will not do
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
The rats have gone and we the crew
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
It's the time be-damned that we went too
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
Well I pray that we shall ne're more see
Leave her Johnny, leave her.
A hungry ship, the likes of she
And it's time for us to leave her,
Leave her Johnny, leave her,
Oh leave her Johnny, leave her.
Oh the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
Ww Ww
Alan Griffiths
Sun, 22/12/2019 - 14:22
Leave her Johnny, leave her means they are urging him on to leave the ship at the end of the voyage (for good, forever).
"Shipped up green and none went by," We sailed with new (green) sailors, signed them all up and refused none. Seasoned sailors could market themselves better.
Bucco is short for buccaneer, a pirate, a rogue.
The old man is the captain, the skipper. Slang
The mate, second in command.
Boatswain, third man down, below the Captain, and the mate. A beggar means he was a scoundrel, not well liked. A slave driver to the crew.
Swearing is cursing.
Starboard pump, to pump excess water overboard. *A tip - how to remember,
All of the words for the right side are long. Right, starboard, and green. All the words on the left side are short. Left, port (larboard), red. You are looking toward the bow (the front) of the ship to be oriented correctly.
A hungry ship is a ship that requires lots of maintenance and constant work.