Finn & Haddie, Albertina

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Albertina

as led by Barry Finn on Fathom This © 2007
Barry Finn and Neil Downey

They are buildin' a ship in the northlands,
Albertina they will call her when she's done,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
Albertina they will call her when she's done,
Pump away!

They say that she is ready an' waitin',
She's loaded down with golden ale an' wine,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
An' she's loaded down with golden ale an' wine,
Pump away!

They say that she is ready an' waitin',
To take us all around the Horn,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
To take us all around the Horn,
Pump away!

They say that she lies waitin' at anchor,
To take us o'er the bounding' main,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
To take us o'er the bounding' main,
Pump away!

On the shore there are many hearts a-weepin',
As we sail into the harbor safe an' snug,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
As we sail into the harbor safe an' snug,
Pump away!

They say that there's a sailor's grave a-waitin',
Beneath the ocean wide an' blue,
Pump away!

Albertina, she will serve us,
Albertina will preserve us,
Beneath the ocean wide an' blue,
Pump away!

Another rarely sung shanty collected from George Herbert. George's version is sung as a pump shanty rather than at the capstan. Barry recalls George mentioning that he picked this up while in the Baltic Trades as a youngster. Hugill has this shanty in his Songs of the Sea as a Scandinavian capstan and pump shanty.