The Song of a Ship

from Cutlass, Cannon and Curves by The Jolly Rogers

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lyrics

The song of a ship begins with the rhythm of the hammer,
And it grows with the work of all the men who build her.
She finds her voice and sings in every line and every sail
A harmony with wind and sea, a duet with the gale.
First you find the trees whose curves are just right
Fell them to make timber, and use all your might
Haul the timber to the river, fit it to the mold
Get every piece just right, it’ll be a sight to behold
Now we lay the keel, it’s the first thing to get done,
Scarf the stem and fix the stern mortise and tenon
Heave your backs, my lads, and set the square frames
For the next job that we’ve got the transom stern to stage.
[CHORUS]
Man the saw and line the planks, short straw gets the pit
Dub that oak frame with the adze so every strake will fit
Now mind the augers, boys, and drill those holes true
Twenty thousand trunnels to hit and the day’s almost through
Now build those stanchions up and plank her decks with pine
Sailors’ll work the Weather deck, in the Lower they’ll live just fine
You caulkers drive that oakum in and pay out all those seams
And we’ll get her hull all coppered up so she sails like a dream
[CHORUS]
Build the rudder from the timber and fix it with iron pins
Then ship it on the sternpost, watch the tiller don’t crack your shins
It’s been most of a year’s work and the wheel is finally set
That’s the last we have on the hull, but we’re not finished yet
With three masts and square-rigged sails she’ll be a proper ship
The first thing that we’ll set on her will be jib and bowsprit
Then we’ll fit the foremast with the main and mizzenmast behind
Now you riggers come aboard and get her fixed with all her lines
[CHORUS]
Standing rigging will hold the masts, these are the shrouds and stays
Rove off the running rigging for working all her sails
This spider’s web of hemp run through blocks each sailor must learn
From the headsail at the bow to the gaff-rigged spanker ‘stern
They’ll write songs my lads, about the sailors on that ship,
They’ll sing of the adventures or the dangers of their trip.
As those songs are sung, we’ll not hear a single note
As our backs are bent and hammers ring while we build another boat.
[CHORUS] x2

credits

from Cutlass, Cannon and Curves, released September 1, 2005

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The Jolly Rogers Kansas City, Missouri

Pirates before pirates were cool. The Jolly Rogers were born as the Earth still cooled, waaaay back in 1991. Bringing maritime music, sea shanties, drinking and bawdy songs to audiences before pirates were all the rage, they've been a main stage act at venues across America and Europe. ... more

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