It's ho! for a brave and a gallant ship,
With a fair and a favorin' breeze,
With a bully crew and a captain too
To carry me over the seas;
To carry me over the seas, me lads,
To me true love far away,
For I'm takin' a trip on a Government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well me true love, she was beautiful,
Me true love, she was young,
Her eyes were like the diamond bright
And silvery was her tongue
And silvery was her tongue, m'boys
As the big ship sailed away
And she said, "Will you remember me
Ten thousand miles away!"
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh, well now dark and dismal was the day
When last I saw me Meg
She'd a Government band around each hand
And another one around her leg
And another one around her leg, m'boys
As the big ship left the bay,
And I swore I would be true to her
Ten thousand miles away!
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well, I wish I was a bosun bold
Or even a bombardier
I'd build a boat and away I'd float
And straight for me true love's steer;
And straight for me true love's steer, m'boys
Where the dancing dolphins play,
Where the whales and sharks have all their larks
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well the sun may shine through the London fog
Or the river run quite clear,
Or the ocean brine turn into wine
Or I'll forget my beer (Oh no!)
Or I'll forget my beer, m'lads
Or the landlord's quarter-pay
But I won't forget me own true Meg
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
With a fair and a favorin' breeze,
With a bully crew and a captain too
To carry me over the seas;
To carry me over the seas, me lads,
To me true love far away,
For I'm takin' a trip on a Government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well me true love, she was beautiful,
Me true love, she was young,
Her eyes were like the diamond bright
And silvery was her tongue
And silvery was her tongue, m'boys
As the big ship sailed away
And she said, "Will you remember me
Ten thousand miles away!"
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh, well now dark and dismal was the day
When last I saw me Meg
She'd a Government band around each hand
And another one around her leg
And another one around her leg, m'boys
As the big ship left the bay,
And I swore I would be true to her
Ten thousand miles away!
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well, I wish I was a bosun bold
Or even a bombardier
I'd build a boat and away I'd float
And straight for me true love's steer;
And straight for me true love's steer, m'boys
Where the dancing dolphins play,
Where the whales and sharks have all their larks
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh well the sun may shine through the London fog
Or the river run quite clear,
Or the ocean brine turn into wine
Or I'll forget my beer (Oh no!)
Or I'll forget my beer, m'lads
Or the landlord's quarter-pay
But I won't forget me own true Meg
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.
And sing blow, me bully boys, blow!
A-rovin' I will go.
I'll stay no more on England's shore
To hear the music play
I'm off on the morning train
And I won't be back again.
I'm taking a trip on a government ship
Ten thousand miles away.