Spanish Ladies

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain
For we've received orders to sail for old England
We hope in a short time to see yous again


We’ll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues


We hove our ship to with the wind from sou'west, boys
We hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear
It's forty-five fathoms, with a white sandy bottom
We squared our main yard and up channel did steer


We’ll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues


Now the first land we sighted - it is called the Dodman
Next Rams Head off Plymouth, Start, Portland and Wight
We sailed on by Beachy, by Fairlight, and Dungeness
And we hove our ship to, off the South Foreland light

We’ll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues

Then the signal was given for the grand fleet to anchor
And all in the Downs that night for to lie
Let go your shank painter, likewise your cat-stopper
Haul up your clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly


We’ll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues


Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper
And let ev'ry man toss off his full glass
We'll sing and be jolly and drown melancholy
And here's to the health of each true-hearted lass


We’ll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues