Gordon Bok – Handsome Cabin Boy (Guitar)

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It's just a pretty female, as you may understand

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Her mind being bent for rambling into a foreign land

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She dressed herself in sailor's clothes, or so it does appear

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And she signed with a captain, to serve him for a year

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The captain's wife, she being on board, she seemed in great joy

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To think the captain had engaged such a handsome cabin boy

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And now and then she slipped him a kiss, and she would have liked to toy

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But twas the captain found out the secret of the handsome cabin boy

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Her cheeks they were like roses and her hair all in a curl

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The sailors often smiled and said, he looks just like a girl

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But eating of the captain's biscuit, her colour did destroy

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And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, the handsome cabin boy

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Twas down the Bay of Biscay our gallant ship did plough

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One night amongst the sailors, a helluva flurry and row

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It tumbled the men from out their hammocks, their sleep it did destroy

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Terrible cursin' and a-groanin' of the handsome cabin boy

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"Oh doctor dear, oh doctor," the cabin boy did cry

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"My time has come, I am undone and I must surely die"

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The doctor come a-running and smiling at the fun

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For to think a sailor lad should have a daughter or a son

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The sailors when they heard the news, they all did stand and stare

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The child belonged to none of them, they solemnly did swear

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The captain's wife she says to him, "My dear I wish you joy

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For it's either you or I betrayed the handsome cabin boy"

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Now sailors take your tot o' rum and drink success to trade

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And likewise to the cabin boy that was neither man nor maid

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Here's hoping the wars don't rise again, our sailors to destroy

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And here's hoping for a jolly lot more, like the handsome cabin boy