To ask would you come for to go

To ask would you come for to go
How a true-hearted tar you'd discern,
He's as honest a fellow I'd have you to know
As e'er stept between stem and stern:
Let furious winds the vessel waft,
In his station amidships, or sore, or aft,
He can pull away,
Cast off, belay,
Aloft, alow,
Avast, yo ho!
And hand, reef, and steer,
Know each halliard and jeer,
And of duty every rig;
But his joy and delight
Is, on Saturday night,
A drop of the creature to swig.

The first voyage I made to sea,
One day as I hove the lead,
The main top gallant mast went by the lee,
For it blew off the devil's head;
Tumble up there, bear a hand, turn to,
While I, the foremost of the crew,
Soon could pull away,
Cast off, belay,
Aloft, alow,
Avast, yo ho!
And hand, reef, and steer,
Know each halliard and jeer,
And of duty every rig;
But my joy and delight
Was, on Saturday night,
A drop of the creature to swig.

There was Kit with a cast in his eye,
And Tom with the timber toe,
And shambling Will, for he hobbled awry,
All wounded a fighting the foe:
Three lads though crazy grown and crank,
As true as ever bumbo drank,
For they'd pull away,
Cast off, belay,
Aloft, alow,
Avast, yo ho!
And hand, reef, and steer,
Know each halliard and jeer,
And of duty every rig;
But their joy and delight
Was, on Saturday night,
A drop of the creature to swig.

Then over life's ocean I'll jog,
Let the storm or the Spaniards come on,
So but sea room I get, and a skin full of grog,
I fear neither devil nor don:
For I'm the man that's spract and daft,
In my station amidships, or fore, or aft,
I can pull away,
Cast off, belay,
Aloft, alow,
Avast, yo ho!
And hand, reef, and steer,
Know each halliard and jeer,
And of duty every rig,
But my joy and delight
Is, on Saturday night,
A drop of the creature to swig.