1. |
Peggy
03:51
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Deeds undone, and sights unseen, long time ago
Wondering what might have been, long time ago
Instead of breaking all the rules, and acting like a bloody fool
I'd done a little bit in school, long time ago
I don't care what the neighbours say
They don't like me anyway
I'll go for a walk on a Sunday with Peggy on my good right arm
There was a lassie in this town, long time ago
I must confess, I let her down, long time ago
Such empty promises are these, sweet apples from a lemon tree
Better she deserved from me, long time ago
Chorus
If I'd known then what I know now, long time ago
I like to think that still somehow, long time ago
I would have chosen differently my habits and my company
I wasn't very nice, you see, long time ago
Chorus
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, long time ago
No-one left to take the blame, long time ago
They say that every man is free to be the man he wants to be
It didn't mean that much to me, long time ago
Chorus
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2. |
Martha
02:31
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Martha, will you marry me, for you know I love you dearly
Martha, will you marry me, for you know I love you dearly
And if you say you'll marry me I'll take a job at the factory
We'll get a little house by the old canal, and have a bonny babe or two
Have a bonny babe or two
You know that I would marry you, says she, and oh so sweetly
You know that I would marry you, says she, and oh so sweetly
But my father is a prideful man, he'd never wed his daughter to a factory hand
He'd never let me live by the old canal, or have a bonny babe with you
Have a bonny babe with you
I'll go to your father with a bottle of gin, and in the drinking talk him over
I'll go to your father with a bottle of gin, and in the drinking talk him over
I don't think much of your chances dear, he takes his drinking all so well
He takes his drinking oh so well, I wouldn't waste your time with him
I wouldn't waste your time with him
But I went to the house with the big front door - I pray you, let me in, sir
I went to the house with the big front door - I pray you, let me in, sir
I've come for the hand of your own dear daughter, Martha says she'll marry me
Martha says she'll marry me, if you'll only let her go
If you'll only let her go
Martha, she won't see you, and she's locked the chamber door again
Martha, she won't see you, and she's locked the chamber door again
And though you are a fine young man, your shoes are thin and your jacket's torn
There's many another she's shown the door for the want of a shilling or two
For the want of a shilling or two
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3. |
Gone for a Soldier
03:27
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I wish I could go, instead of him; I'd go right now if they'd let me in
But I'm too fat, and I'm too old, and I wouldn't do as I was told
I wouldn't make much of a soldier
The wheels on the bus go round and round, and the ducks on the pond make a funny sound
Don't get too close, you might fall in, and you know your Daddy cannot Now he's gone to be a soldier
Chorus
When he passes out in his finery on the barrack square for all to see
Look at me, Dad, aren't you impressed? I'll take a deep breath, and I'll say yes
But I wish he hadn't gone for a soldier
Chorus
He'll travel the world, and he'll see the sights, and I won't sleep too well at night
And when he comes back home to me, I'll lock the door and hide the key
But I wish he hadn't gone for a soldier
Chorus
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4. |
Sally
02:50
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A sailor's life is a hard life, Sally
For an old man, Sally, it's a bloody hard slog
One more trip on the Oggin, Sally
And that'll be the end for the old sea dog
I'm off to sea, for six months more
When I come back I'll be knocking at your door
With a fine gold ring for the girl I adore
And I'll go on the Oggin no more
Don't you go off with a young man, Sally
He won't know what an old man knows
He'll cast you off like an old shoe, Sally
Sure as the spring tide ebbs and flows
Chorus
Don't you go off with a rich man, Sally
He'll turn your head with ribbons and bows
And a house in the country with many fine jewels
And what would a nice girl want with those?
Chorus
Two weeks out and there's rats in the galley
Jiggers in me feet and the toothache too
The bosun's mate is a Liverpool scally
And he's in love with the whole damn crew
Chorus
It's been a long time since I left you, Sally,
On the dockside, Sally, with a tear in your eye
And I hope you'll be there in the dockside, Sally,
When I come home sailing, by and by
Chorus x3
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5. |
Rosie
02:47
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I was in love with a beautiful servant girl
Rosie by name, and by nature a pure delight
She fancied me, or so I convinced myself, watching her lighting the candles at night
One fine summer's day I plucked up the courage
I asked her to marry me, "Rosie, please marry me!"
Rosie said, "No, if just for the detail that I'm nearly thirty and you're only five!"
Laden with grief I struggled to manhood
And took to the service upon an Eastindiaman
Better by far to reside on the ocean and far from sweet Rosie who had denied me
Many years passed, and I never set eyes on her
Until I caught sight of a barmaid in Liverpool
Is it yourself? Is it Rosie my darling? Oh, tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine
I'll tell you my story, I married a soldier
And he went to war and he never came back to me
Now I'm alone, and I'm looking for company, would you consider an old girl like me?
You know, I just might! You don't look too bad to me
Any port in a storm for a poor sailorman
Gather your shawl, and collect your last wages, for no girl of mine works for fourpence a night
And so we were wed, now she sits across from me
Smoking a clay pipe, and not a tooth in her head
I'll tell you for free, there's one thing for sure, you get nothing in life if you don't persevere!
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6. |
The Bar of the Admiral
04:22
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There were four men singing in the bar of the Admiral
They all sang as one; they all sang together, oh
One man was a Highland man, far from home and family
One man was an Irishman who'd drunk the Liffey dry
One man was a travelling man who'd spent his life in a caravan
One man was an African with no home at all
There were four men singing in the bar of the Admiral
They all sang as one, they all sang together, oh
The second bell rang in the bar of the Admiral
They all stood as one; they all left together, oh
Did one go to a rented room above the shops on the Broadway?
Did one go to a late night bar to keep the beast at bay?
Did one hide in the shadows until the morning came around?
Did one ring the hostel bell, despite the midnight hour?
The second bell rang in the bar of the Admiral
They all stood as one; they all left together, oh
Seven nights later in the bar of the Admiral
There were no songs at all; there were no voices singing, oh
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7. |
The Tyburn Hornpipe
02:21
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One, two, three four five, five little bankers all in a line
Hands outstretched with a begging bowl - you must be bloody joking!
Here's my wallet, you can take the lot, there's not much left but it's all I've got
You can save it all for a rainy day, or stick it where the sun don't shine!
You're a bunch of bloody chancers! You're not welcome here any more
Sling your hook, and don't come back - don't need the likes of you
Fat little piggies, all in a row, pink little arses all on show
Snouts in the trough, go boys go! Get it while you can!
A nice little house in Tuscany, a pied-a-terre in the Pyrennees
I'll take my money where I please; mind your own bloody business!
I'm all right Jack, devil take the rest, I will do what I do best
I'll charge you compound interest and spend it all on me!
Chorus
There's a man lives not too far from me - he's not a bad fellow for an old Tory
So I thought I'd ask, how can it be you let them have our eyes out?
We've got to pay them all full whack, or they'll be gone, and won't come back
Over the hills and far away, and what would we do then?
Chorus
Not content with what they've got, they'll squeeze you for each tiny drop
I'd like to take the bloody lot and march them to the gallows!
Stand the buggers back to back, put a rope around each neck
String 'em up, and watch 'em dance, doing the Tyburn Hornpipe!
Chorus
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8. |
Out on the Ocean
04:26
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There's a light in the window of Flanagan's bar; it's a quarter to two in the morning
There'll be singing and dancing and all kinds of noise; I wish I could be there now
Old Danny will try for The Coolin again, and he'll hope that the drink won't confound him
But he'll straighten his back, and he'll rosin the bow; I swear I can hear him now
I don't know what's in store for me
In a strange country across the sea
Is it cold at night? Do the stars shine bright?
Are the same stars shining on you tonight?
And I'll hold on to the memory
Of a fond kiss on a crowded quay
There were grown men crying for all to see
My poor heart's breaking inside of me
If I close my eyes now I can hear the sun rise, and the mist in the valley below me
And I don't have to be there to hear the cock crow; I swear, I can hear him now
Will you walk in the meadow, as oft times you do, in the earliest part of the morning?
Will your footsteps appear in the sweet foggy dew? I wish I could be there now
Chrous
There's not much to do, and there's not much to tell, I'm a thousand miles out on the ocean
The daily grind over, I go to my slumber, and fall to my foolish dreams
Are you standing alone at the harbour wall, are you watching an empty horizon?
There's nothing between us but blue sky and sea. I wish I could be there now
Chorus
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9. |
Two Concertina Jigs
03:05
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10. |
Molly
02:24
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Molly, dear, you know you are the apple of my eye
You are my consolation when the winter winds do cry
I would not leave you, Molly, had I freedom of my heart
And so it grieves me, Molly, that the two of us must part
There is a golden country, far away, so I am told
Golden sunsets in the sky, and golden sands below
And golden people, Molly dear, but here's a dreadful thing
For all their airs and graces they don't let their women sing
Hand me down my sword and shield, for I must ride away
And I will teach them, if I can, the error of their ways
I'll teach them in the name of God, for God's the only king
And God is on my side, and they will let their women sing
Molly, like a broken bird, she fluttered to the floor
He's gone, he's gone, sweet Molly cried, I'll never see him more
He was my pride, and my delight, and he did a precious thing
He went to fight the madmen who don't let their women sing
Oh Molly, can you hear me, dear, I've something to confess
I might have offered up my life for something rather less
As I lay upon the battleground, with broken bodies all around
I swear that in the distance I could hear a woman sing
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11. |
The Lass on the Strand
03:42
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As I went a-walking one dark stormy morning, down by the cold waterside
I met with a lassie, she was standing and staring, and weeping alone by the tide
Are you grieving for someone, says I, like a fool, and she tosses her curly black hair
It was all of her answer, she was gone in a moment
'Twas if she had never been there
I dreamt of her nightly, and I pictured her daily, walking the strand in the rain
And I wondered what manner of mine might beguile her, should ever I meet her again
For courage in plenty, and many fine words have I, with a glass in my hand
But all my brave talking couldn't ease my heart's longing
As I thought of the lass on the strand
Many's the morning I stood at the seashore, and always the waiting in vain
And the season was changing, and the sun sweetly shining, the morning I saw her again
She was gay as the springtime, and dressed all in green, and her eyes were the sparkling dew
Where are you going, in the morning so early, in the loveliest part of the year?
For the weather being pleasant, and the sun on the meadow, I thought we might take the air
I cannot go with you, kind sir, she said, and I beg you do not make so free
For I'm bound for the docks, and the arms of my sweetheart
For today he returns from sea
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12. |
Miss Merrydown
02:53
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Hey Miss Merrydown, ho Miss Merrydown
Hey Miss Merrydown, you please me
But I've been a long time in your service, now, it's time to set me free
I'm a foolish man, and I'm easily led
You've been knocking at an open door
It would not dismay me should I never meet you more
Hey Miss Merrydown, ho Miss Merrydown
Hey Miss Merrydown, you please me
But I will no longer pay the price you daily ask of me
You're a handsome lass, and you're very well bred
And I will miss you when you're gone
But now and then I'll take a glass for Auld Lang Syne
Hey Miss Merrydown, ho Miss Merrydown
Hey Miss Merrydown, let me be
You've been the ruin of many a finer figure of a man than me
I kissed you once by the kitchen door
And I never asked or offered more
But the fruit of the branch of the apple tree will always apples be
Hey Miss Merrydown, ho Miss Merrydown
Hey Miss Merrydown, you please me
But I've been a long time in your service, now, it's time to set me free
I'm a foolish man, and I'm easily led
You've been knocking at an open door
It would not dismay me should I never meet you more
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13. |
Track Thirteen
03:35
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