Goodbye, Fare Ye Well

Oh, don't you hear the Old Man say
Goodbye fare-ye-well, goodbye fare-ye well
Oh, don't you hear the Old Man say
Hooraw, me boys, we're homeward bound!

We're homeward bound to Liverpool town,
Where them judies they will come down.

And when we gets to the Wallasea Gates,
Sally and Polly for their flash men do wait.

And one to the other ye'll hear them say,
Here comes Johnny with fourteen months pay.

Them girls there on Lime Street we soon hope to meet,
Soon we'll be rollin' both sides of the street.

We'll meet these fly gals and we'll ring the ol' bell,
With them judies we'll meet there we'll raise merry hell.

I'll tell me old mammy when I gets back home,
The girls there on Lime Street won't leave me alone.

We're homeward bound to the gals o' the town.
Stamp up me bullies an' heave it around.

And when we gets home, boys, oh won't we fly 'round,
We'll heave up the anchor to this bully sound.

We're a fine flashy packet and bound for to go,
With the gals on the towrope we cannot say no!

We're all homeward bound for the old backyard,
Then heave, me bullies, we're all bound homeward.

I wrote to my Kitty, she says she is well,
She rooms at the Astor and dines at the Bell.
Heave with a will, boys, oh heave good and strong,
Sing a good chorus for 'tis a good song.

We're homeward bound, we'll have ye to know,
And over the water to England must go.

from Hugill, Shanteys from the Seven Seas
Recorded by Hickerson, MacColl
RG