Digital Tradition Mirror

Watches

Watches
(Tom Lewis)

cho. So keep the engine goin' round
        The diesel goin' up and down
        Keep the old ship goin' homeward bound

Here's another middle watch
 Another hair upon me chest
There's just an hour or two
 'til I can go and get some rest
Mornin', dogs, or afternoon
 The forenoon or the first
Well there's none of them comes easy
 But the middle is the worst

How did I get into this
 When I was just a boy
My mother wouldn't let me go
 I was her pride and joy
When she tried to stop me
 I just ran away to sea
But mothers always know best
 Now that's very plain to me

I'd never heard of watchkeeping
 I can't have been too bright
I thought that when the sun went down
 We'd anchor for the night
But my old sea-dad put me straight
 He said we're one in three
That's four hours on and eight hours off
 And working in between

At four o'clock next morning
 I was down below in Hell
Scrubbin' plates and punchin' sprays
 And making tea as well
After four long hours
 I was ready fit to drop
I'd an hour off for breakfast
 And a turn-to up on top

Then I heard, in submarines,
 There's extra money paid
And only two hour watches
 I thought I'd got it made
I quickly volunteered
 Only to to find I had been green
That was two hours on and fours hours off
 And workin' in betweem

After twenty years, you find
 There's not much left to learn
And when it comes to watchkeeping
 You have to take your turn
When you shake and just roll out
 And get yourself below
Your "offo's " waiting for relief
 So off-watch he can go

Here's another middle watch
 Another hair upon me chest
There's just an hour or two
 'til I can go and get some rest
Mornin', dogs, or afternoon
 The forenoon or the first
Well, there's none of them comes easy
 But the middle is the worst

Copyright Tom Lewis
From Tom Lewis album "Surfacing"
Self Propelled Music
Salmo B.C.
SGL
APR99

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!

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