Lyrics The Sailor's Alphabet - David Jones, Bill Shute

The Sailor's Alphabet

A for the anchor that swings at our bow
B for the bowsprit to the wild seas to plow
C for the capstan we all walk around
D for the davitts that lower our boat down
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong
E for the ensign that flies at our peak
F for the forecastle where the good sailors sleep
G for the galley where the cooks hop around
H for the hallyards we haul up and down
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong
I for the irons the ship is made of
J for the jib, which moves her along
K for the keel at the bottom of the ship
L for the lanyards that never do slip
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong
M for the mainmast so neat and so strong
N for the needle, which never go wrong
O for the oars that row our small boat
P for the pumps that keep her afloat
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong
Q for the quarter deck where officers stand
R for the rudder that steers her to land
S for the sailors who move her along
T for the topsails we hoist with a song
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong
U for the union, which we all adore
V for the vane that flies at our fore
W for the wheel where we stand our time
And the other three letters, you can’t bring in rhyme
So merry, so merry are we
There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea
Sing high, sing low, as we sail along
Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong