88 - Spanish Ladies

Farewell and adieu to you Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain
For we’ve received orders to sail for old England
But we hope in a short while to see you again

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of Old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

We hove our ship to with the wind at Sou’west, boys
We hove our ship to, our soundings to take
So we rounded and sounded; got forty-five fathoms
We squared our main yard and up channel did make

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of Old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

Now the first land we sighted is called the Deadman
Next Ram’s Head off Plymouth, off Portland the Wight
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlee and Dungeness
Till we came abreast of the South Foreland Light

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors…

Then the order was made for the Grand Fleet to anchor
All in the downs that night for to lie
Let go your shank-painters, let go your cat-stoppers,
Haul up your clew garnets, let tacks and sheets fly

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors…

Now let every one toss off a full bumper
And let every one drink off a full glass
And we’ll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy
Singing, here’s to the health to each true-hearted lass

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors…

spanish