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Hell's Pavement


“When I’m discharged at Liverpool ‘n’ draws my bit o’ pay,
I won’t come to sea no more;
I’ll court a pretty little lass ‘n’ have a weddin’ day,
‘N’ settle somewhere down shore;
I’ll never fare to sea again a-temptin’ Davy Jones,
A-hearkening to the cruel sharks a-hungerin’ for my bones;
I’ll run a blushin’ dairy-farm or go a-crackin’ stones,
Or buy ‘n’ keep a little liquor-store” &mdash
So he said.

They towed her in to Liverpool, we made the hooker fast,
And the copper-bound official paid the crew,
And Billy drew his money, but the money didn’t last,
For he painted the alongshore blue, &mdash
It was rum for Poll, and rum for Nan, and gin for Jolly Jack;
He shipped a week later in the clothes upon his back;
He had to pinch a little straw, he had to beg a sack
To sleep on, when his watch was through, &mdash
So he did.

Notes

From Salt-Water Poems & Ballads, by John Masefield, published by The MacMillan Co., NY, © 1921, p. 25.

This is the classic sailor story of swearing never to go to sea again, only to go on a binge in sailortown upon being discharged from one's ship.

Charlie Ipcar adapted this poem for singing as recorded on UNCOMMON SAILOR SONGS, © 2004: home.gwi.net/~ipbar/lyr_list.htm

The graphic is drawn by shantyman and sea songs editor Stan Hugill.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

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Comments


  • Charley Noble Moderators member
    December 28, 2005
    Edit | Reply
    verses on flesh-

    Sorry, I just noticed that you had made a nice comment. It's a fine poem and Masefield served his time as an apprentice on a tall ship and knew what he was writing about. Stan Hugill, shanty singer and editor, used it as a preface to his classic book entitled SAILORTOWN. I realized that it could be sung to an English music hall tune and my group has been having a lot of fun singing it with the chorus I added.

    Cheerily,
    Charley Noble
    Edited on Jan 05, 7:12 p.m. because 'typo -added space'.

  • verses on flesh
    December 9, 2005
    Edit | Reply
    This is a really great poem, I am surprised you don't have more comments on it. It's very nostalgic. I like the style, I like the set up, I liked the story, it was ironic and real.