Paddy, Lay Back
‘Twuz a cold an’ dreary mornin’ in December, (December)
An’ all of me money.. it was spent (it was spent),
Where it went to Lord I can’t remember (remember),
So down to the shippin’ office I went, (went, went),

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!

That day there wuz a great demand for sailors (for sailors),
For the Colonies and for ‘Frisco and for France (an’ for France),
So I shipped aboard a Limey barque the Hotspur (the Hotspur),
An’ got paralytic drunk on my advance (‘vance, ‘vance),

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!

There wuz Spaniards, an’ Rooshians, an’ Dutchmen!
An’ Johnny Crapoos jist acrosst from France;
An’ most of’ ’em couldn’t speak a word o’ English,
But answered to the name of ‘Month’s Advance’.

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!

I wish’d I wuz in the ‘Jolly Sailor’,
Along with Irish Kate a-drinkin’ beer;
An’ then I thought ‘what jolly chaps were sailors,
An’ with me flipper I wiped away a tear.

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!

So there wuz I, once more again at sea boys,
The same ol’ ruddy business over again;
Oh, stamp the caps’n round an’ make some noise, boys,
An’ sing again this dear ol’ sweet refrain.

Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!