Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies,
Farewell and adieu you ladies of Spain,
Since we’ve received orders to sail for old England,
In hopes in a short time to see you again
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British heroes,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true hearts of oak,
And since we struck soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly was thirty-five leagues.
O we hove the ship too, with the wind at the sou’west,
We hove the ship too, and soundings got we,
At thirty-five fathom. With a white sandy bottom,
We squared our main yards and up channel steered we.
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British heroes,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true hearts of oak,
And since we struck soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly was thirty-five leagues.
O the first light we made it was called the Deadman,
The Ramhead, Plymouth, Star, Portland, and Wight,
We sailed past Beachy, by Farely and Dungeness,
Until we arrived off the South Foreland light.
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British heroes,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true hearts of oak,
And since we struck soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly was thirty-five leagues.
O the signal was made for the grand fleet to anchor,
All in the downs that night for to lay,
It’s stand by your stoppers, let go your shank painter,
Haul up your clue garnets, let fly tacks and sheets.
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British heroes,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true hearts of oak,
And since we struck soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly was thirty-five leagues.
Let every man toss off a full bumper,
Let every man toss off a full bowl,
For we’ll drink and be merry, and drown melancholy,
So here’s a good health to all true hearty souls.
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British heroes,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true hearts of oak,
And since we struck soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly was thirty-five leagues.