It's acrimony down in the card room
With winning hands thrown on the baize;
Forgotten cards wait on the end of debate
On the good old days.
Captains and mates getting testy
With memories not of the best
And tempers are flying
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

Blue eyes in wrinkled Morocco
Still search the horizon for squalls,
And Zeros in the sky and the watchkeeper's eye
And the pawn shop balls.
The spice in the wind off Java
And the bars in Papity were best,
But the deck is too steady
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

And oh...how they talk of the day they arrived;
When after the years, all the storms and the tears,
Still very much alive.
And oh...how their lives were spilled out on the floor
From the battered old seabags, the journals and logs
And the keepsakes locked in the chests
That were stowed in the attic [sold at the auction]
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

No rail on the mess room table
And you're dead if you spit on the floor.
No grog allowed, no singing too loud,
And no locks on the doors;
But there's always a fire in the card room
And the tucker is always the best,
And they'll end it together
Down at the Sailor's Rest.

(Repeat verses one and three)

Well Jimmy played harmonica in the pub where I was born
He played it from the night time to the peaceful early morn
He soothed the souls of psychos and the men who had the horn
And they all looked very happy in the morning

Now Jimmy didn't like his place in this world of ours
Where the elephant man broke strong men's necks
When he'd had too many powers
So sad to see the grieving of the people that he's leaving
And he took the road for God knows in the morning

(CHORUS)
We walked him to the station in the rain
We kissed him as we put him on the train
And we sang him a song of times long gone
Though we knew that we'd be seeing him again
(Far away!) Sad to say I must be on my way
So buy me beer and whiskey 'cause I'm going far away (far away!)
I'd like to think of me returning when I can
To the greatest little boozer and to Sally MacLennane

The years passed by the times had changed I grew to be a man
I learned to love the virtues of sweet Sally MacLennane
I took the jeers and drank the beers and crawled back home at dawn
And ended up a barman in the morning

I played the pump and took the hump and watered whiskey down
I talked of whores and horses to the men who drank the brown
I heard them say that Jimmy's making money far away
And some people left for heaven without warning

(CHORUS)

When Jimmy came back home he was surprised that they were gone
He asked me all the details of the train that they went on
Some people they are scared to croak but Jimmy drank until he choked
And he took the road for heaven in the morning

(CHORUS)


*made famous by The Pogues - 1985

Oh, me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep, chimney sweep
Oh, me name it is Sam Hall, chimney sweep
Oh, me name it is Sam Hall and I rob both great and small
And me neck will pay for all, when I die, when I die
And me neck will pay for all when I die.

Up the ladder I did grope, that's no joke, that's no joke
Up the ladder I did grope, that's no joke
Up the ladder I did grope and the hangman pulled the rope
And ne'er a word I spoke, tumblin down, tumblin down
And ne'er a word I spoke tumblin down

Oh they took me to Coote Hill in a cart, in a cart
Oh they took me to Coote Hill in a cart
Oh they took me to Coote Hill and I stopped to make my will
Saying the best of friends must part, so must I, so must I
Saying the best of friends must part, so must I

Sonny lives on a farm
On a wide open space
Where you could take off your shoes
And give up the race
You could lay down your head
By a sweet river bed
But Sonny always remembers
What it was his mama said

(chorus)Oh, in South Aus-tral-ia where I was born,
Heave a-way, haul a-way!
In South Aus-tral-ia 'round Cape Horn,
I'm bound for South Aus-stral-ia!
Heave a-way, you rovin' kings,
Heave a-way, haul a-way!
Heave a-way, haul a-way, don't ya hear me sing?
We're bound for South Aus-tral-ia!

As I walked out one morning fair
'Twas there I met Miss Nancy Blair (chorus)

I shook her up and I shook her down
I shook her round and round the town(chorus)

I run her all night and I run her all day
And I run her until we sailed away(chorus)

There ain't but one thing grieves me mind
To leave Miss Nancy Blair behind(chorus)

And as we wallop around Cape Horn
You'll wish to God you'd never been born(chorus)

In South Australia my native land
Full of rocks and thieves and fleas and sand(chorus)

I wish I was on Australia's strand
With a bottle of whiskey in my hand(chorus)

Near to Banbridge Town in the County Down, one morning in July,
Down a boreen green, came a sweet colleen,
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so sweet, from her two white feet,
To the sheen of her nut-brown hair,
Sure-the coaxing elf, I'd to shake myself,
To make sure I was standing there.

As I went home on a Monday night, as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a horse outside the door where my ould horse should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
Will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that horse outside the door where my ould horse should be?
Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly ould fool, and still you cannot see,
That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me,
Well it's many a day I travelled a hundred miles or more,
But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Tuesday night,
As drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a coat behind the door where my ould coat should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
Will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns the coat behind the door where my ould coat should be?
Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly ould fool, and still you cannot see,
That's a woollen blanket that me mother sent to me,
Well it's many a day I travelled a hundred miles or more,
But buttons on a blanket sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Wednesday night, as drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a pipe upon the chair where my ould pipe should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
Will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns the pipe upon the chair where my ould pipe should be?
Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly ould fool, and still you cannot see,
That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me,
Well it's many a day I travelled a hundred miles or more,
But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before.

As I came home on a Thursday night,
As drunk as drunk could be,
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my ould boots should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
Will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my ould boots should be?
Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly ould fool,
And still you cannot see,
They're two lovely geranium pots me mother sent to me,
Well it's many a day I travelled a hundred miles or more,
But laces in geranium pots sure I never saw before.

And as I went home on a Friday night,
As drunk as drunk could be,
I saw a head inside the bed where my ould head should be,
Well I called me wife and I said to her,
Will you kindly tell to me,
Who owns that head with you in the bed where my ould head should be?
Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly ould fool, and still you cannot see,
That's a baby boy that me mother sent to me,
Well it's many a day I travelled a hundred miles or more,
But a baby boy with his whiskers on sure I never saw before.

With our nets and gear we're faring
On the wild and wasteful ocean.
Its there that we hunt and we earn our bread
As we hunted for the shoals of herring

O it was a fine and a pleasant day
Out of Yarmouth harbor I was faring
As a cabinboy on a sailing lugger
For to go and hunt the shoals of herring

O the work was hard and the hours long
And the treatment, sure it took some bearing
There was little kindness and the kicks were many
As we hunted for the shoals of herring

O we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank
I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing
And I used to sleep standing on my feet
And I'd dream about the shoals of herring

O we left the homegrounds in the month of June
And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing
With a hundred cran of silver darlings
That we'd taken from the shoals of herring

Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearing
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
While you're searching for the shoals of herring

In the stormy seas and the living gales
Just to earn your daily bread you're daring
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands
As you're following the shoals of herring

Oh I earned my keep and I paid my way
And I earned the gear that I was wearing
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
We were sailing after shoals of herring

Last night as I lay dreaming of pleasant days gone by
My mind being bent on rambling to Ireland I did fly
I stepped on board a vision and I followed with the wind
And I shortly came to anchor at the cross of Spancil Hill

It being the 23rd June the day before the fair
When lreland's sons and daughters in crowds assembled there
The young and the old, the brave and the bold their journey to fulfill
There were jovial conversations at the fair of Spancil Hill

I went to see my neighbors to hear what they might say
The old ones were all dead and gone and the young one's turning grey
I met with the tailor Quigley, he's a bould as ever still
Sure he used to make my britches when I lived in Spancil Hill

I paid a flying visit to my first and only love
She's as white as any lily and as gentle as a dove
She threw her arms around me saying "Johnny I love you still
"Oh she's Ned the farmers daughter and the flower of Spancil Hill

I dreamt I held and kissed her as in the days of yore
She said, "Johnny you're only joking like many's the time before"
The cock he crew in the morning he crew both loud and shrill
And I awoke in California, many miles from Spancil Hill.

I came upon a charming girl
And Sarah was her name
Her parents want a husband
With riches, wealth, and fame
I have no wealth, and riches and fame
Have never come my way
Until the day when I crept up
And through the keyhole say

Sarah, Sarah, won't you come out tonight
Sarah, Sarah, the moon is shining bright
Put your cap and jacket on
Tell your mother you won't be long
And I'll be waiting for you 'round the corner

My Sarah is a girl like this
A girl you seldom see
She loves me only for myself
And not for my money
Every night at eight o'clock
She puts the needles away
And standing just beside the door
And through the keyhole say

One night a little after eight
I crept up to her door
And I whispered "Sarah, darling"
As I'd often done before
(spoken:)
"Sarah! Sarah! I'll give you Sarah!" said a voice
As down I fell a-flop
And her mother saying, as she kicked me all around the shop

The old woman thought she'd killed me
And I let her think so, too
As I lay there on the floor
I scarce knew what to do
At last she said, "Is he live or dead?
My girl I'll let him wed."
Then up I jumps, says "Thank you ma'am"
And to to my girl I said

Hark where the night is falling
hark hear the pipes a calling
Loudly and proudly calling down thru the glen
There where the hills are sleeping
Now feel the blood a leaping
High as the spirits of the old highland men

Towering in gallant fame
Scotland my mountain hame
High may your proud standards gloriously wave
Land of my high endeavor
Land of the shining river
Land of my heart forever, Scotland the Brave

High in the misty mountains
Out by the purple highlands
Brave are the hearts that beat beneath Scottish skies
Wild are the winds to meet you
Staunch are the friends that greet you
Kind as the love that shines from fair maidens eyes

*A very popular bagpipe song