Press Gang

As I walked out on a London Street
A press gang there I chanced for to meet
They asked me if I’d join the fleet
On board of a man-o-war, boys
Pray brother shipmates tell me true
What sort of usage they give you
That I may know before I go
On board of a man-o-war, boys
But when I went to my surprise
All that they told me was shocking lies
There was a row and a bloody old row
On board of a man-o-war, boys
The first thing they did they took me in hand
They flogged me with a tarry strand
They flogged me till I could not stand
On board of a man-o-war, boys
They hung me up by my two thumbs
And they cut me till the blood did run
And that was the usage they gave me
On board of a man-o-war, boys
I married a wife and her name was Grace
I oft times cursed her ugly face
Saying it’s you that has brought me to this disgrace
On board of a man-o-war, boys
If I could get one foot on shore
Some other pretty girl I’d marry once more
Neither winds nor waves would entice me any more
On board of a man-o-war, boys
On board of a man-o-war, boys
On board of a man-o-war, boys