Pressganged           

Dougie Anderson 2016 ©

Haul away boys, we won’t be leaving port today
If you don’t get them anchors weighed
You’de better haul away
Heave away boys, we’ll never sail across the worl
If you don’t get the sails unfurled
You’de better heave away

These sounds I heard, as I came to below the deck
My head was broke and sore
It dawns on me, I’d had to much to drink and I’d been
pressganged the night before

Clear away boys,we’ll never make it round the cape
If you don’t get the decks in shape
You’de better clear away
Sew away boys, we’ll never make it round the horn
With sails that have the stitching torn
You’de better sew away

We ride the storm, and hope we don’t go overboard
So far away from home
And when it’s calm, we watch the Dolphins at the bow
Dancing on the foam

Scrub away boys, clean the boards and shine the rail
A keelhaul waits you if you fail
You’de better scrub away
Eat away boys, your supper is some mouldy bread
And when you’re done a dirty bed
You’de better eat away

To disobey, is to have the cat o’ nine tails
Strip your flesh from bone
While down below, with grog in hand , the singing man
Would break a heart of stone

Row away boys, yonder lies an unknown land
We’ll leave our footprints in the sand
You’de better row away
Hide away boys, and leave behind a life of pain
We’ll not be pressganged ne’er again
Not if we hide away

But once on land, I opened up the rum
For I’d a thirst like ne’er before
Now here I am , back aboard a heaving ship
Pressganged to the sea once more