trad.

Here's adieu sweet lovely Nancy
Ten thousand times adieu
I am going across the ocean love
To seek for something new
Come change your ring with me dear girl
Come change your ring with me
So it might be a token of true love
While I am on the sea

When I'm far upon the sea
You know not where I am
Kind letters I will write to you
From every foreign land
The secrets of my heart dear girl
Are the best of my goodwill
So let my body be where it might
My heart will be with you still

There's a heavy storm a-rising
See how it gathers round
While we poor souls on the ocean wide
Are fighting for the crown
Our officers commanding us
And them we must obey
Expecting every moment for to get cast away

There are tinkers tailors and shoemakers
Lie snoring fast asleep
While we poor souls on the ocean wide
Are plowing through the deep
There's nothing to protect us love
Nor keep us from the cold
On the ocean wide where we must bide
Like jolly seaman bold

And when the wars are all over
They'll be peace on every shore
We'll return to our wives and our families
And the girls that we adore
We'll call for liquor merriy and spend our money free
And when our money it is all gone
We will boldly go to sea