It's of a pretty female
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As you may understand.
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Her mind being bent for rambling
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Unto some foreign land,
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She dressed herself in sailor's clothes,
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Or so it does appear,
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And she hired with a captain
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To serve him for a year.
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[The captain's wife she being on board,
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She seemed in great joy
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To think the captain had engaged
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Such a handsome cabin boy,
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That now and then she'd slip him a kiss,
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And she'd have liked to toy,
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But 'twas the captain found out the secret
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Of the handsome cabin boy.]
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Her cheeks they were like roses
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And her hair rolled in a curl.
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The sailors often smiled and said
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He looked just like a girl.
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But eating of the captain's biscuit
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Her colour did destroy,
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And the waist did swell of pretty Nell,
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The handsome cabin boy.
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It was in the bay of Biscay
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Our gallant ship did plow.
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One night among the sailors
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Was a fearful flurry and row.*
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They tumbled from their hammocks
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For their sleep it did destroy,
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And they sworn about the groaning
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Of the handsome cabin boy.
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"Oh doctor, dear, oh doctor,"
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The cabin boy did cry.
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"My time has come, I am undone,
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And I will surely die."
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The doctor come a-runnin'
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And a-smilin' at the fun.
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To think a sailor lad should have
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A daughter or a son.
|
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The sailors when they saw the joke
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They all did stand and stare.
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The child belonged to none of them,
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They solemnly did swear.
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The captain's wife, she says to him,
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"My dear, I wish you joy,
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For 'tis either you or me's betrayed
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The handsome cabin boy!"
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[Now sailors, take your tot of rum
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And drink success to trade,
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And likewise to the cabin boy
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That was neither man nor maid.
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Here's hoping the wars don't rise again
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Our sailors to destroy,
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And here's hoping for a jolly lot more
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Like the handsome cabin boy!
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-----------------
|
The Handsome Cabin Boy
|
| Kate Bush |
