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UNMOORING Lead: Richard

From W.B. Whall's Sea Songs and Shanties, a song dear to the old-time sailor, and full of seamanship.

LYRICS:

All hands on board, our bosun cries
His voice like thunder roaring
All hands on board, his mates reply
Tis the signal for unmooring
Then your messenger bring to
Heave your anchor to the bow
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away

Go loose your topsails next, he cries
T'gallant sails and courses
Your jibs and royals see all clear
Haul home those sheets, my hearties
With a light and pleasant gale
We will crowd aloft our sail
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away

Your anchor's now a-peek, he cries
Vast heaving, lads, vast heaving
Your cat and fish now overhaul
The capstan nimbly leaving
Then obey your bosun's call
Walk away with that cat-fall
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away

Farewell to friends, farewell to foes
Farewell to dear relations
We're bound across the ocean blue
Bound for a foreign station
While we cross the raging main
The Union Jack we will maintain
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away
And we'll think on those girls
When we're far, far away

NOTES:

As far as I know this song only appears in Sea Songs and Shanties, collected by W.B. Whall, Master Mariner. About the song Whall says, "This is an example of the purely professional song, dear to the old-time sailor, and full of seamanship. It was a favourite with the prime old shellback, and was all the more successful in that it had a good chorus about the girls."