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 very shortly to see you again.

Chorus:
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 'tis thirty-four leagues.

Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at sou'west, my boys,
Then we hove our ship to, for to take soundings clear;
Then we filled the main topsail and bore right away, my boys,
And straight up the Channel our course we did steer.

Chorus

So the first land we made was a point called the Deadman,
Next Ram Head off Plymouth, Start, Portland and the Wight;
We sailed then by Beachy, by Fairly and Dungeness,
And bore straight away for the South Foreland light.

Chorus

Now the signal was made for the Grand Fleet to anchor,
We stood by our stoppers, stuck out tacks and sheets.
We clewed up our top'sals and brailed in our spanker
And anchored ahead of the noblest of fleets.

Chorus

Now let every man here toss off his full bumper,
Let every man toss off his full bowl;
And let us be jolly and drown melancholy,
With a health to each jovial true-hearted soul.

Chorus

Part of the Dogwatch Nautical Band Site at http://www.well.com/user/cwj/dogwatch/.

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