Digital Tradition Mirror

Sailor's Alphabet

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Sailor's Alphabet

A is the Anchor that holds a bold ship,
B is the Bowsprit that often does dip.
C is the Capstan round which we must wind, and
D are the Davits on which the jolly boat hangs.

So hi derry, hey derry, ho derry down,
Give sailors their grog and there's nothing goes wrong,
So merry, so merry, so merry are we,
No mortal on earth like a sailor at sea.

E is the Ensign, the Red, White and Blue,
F is the Fo'castle that holds the ship's crew.
G is the Gangway where the mate takes his stand, and
H is the Hawser that seldom does strand.

I is the Irons where the stuns'l boom sits.
J is the Jib boom that often does slip.
K are the Keelsons of which you've been told, and
L are the Lanyards that always will hold.

M is the Mainmast so stout and so strong,
N is the Northpoint that never points wrong.
O are the Orders which we must beware, and
P are the Pumps that cause sailors to swear.

Q is the Quadrant the sun for to take,
R is the Rigging that often does shake.
S is the Starboard side of our bold ship, and
T are the Topmasts that often do split.
U is the Ugliest old captain of all,
V are the Vapors that come with the squall.
W is the Windlass round which we must wind, and
X, Y and Z -- I can't put to rhyme.

or:

U's for the uniform, mostly worn aft
V's for the vangs running from the main gaff
W's for water, we're on a pint and a pound
And X marks the spot where old Stormy was drowned

(Chorus)

Y's for yardarm, needs a good sailor man
Z is for Zoe, I'm her fancy man
Z's also for zero in the cold winter time
And now we have brought all the letters in rhyme


Recorded by the Boarding Party
BR

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!