The Sailor's Alphabet - A is for Anchor

Chor:
Merrily, Merrily,
So merry sail we ... no mortal on earth like a sialor at sea
Heave away - Haul away - Ship rolls along
Give a silaor his grog and there's nothing goes wrong

A is for Anchor that hangs at our bow
B is for bowsprit - the Jib's all hang low
C is for Capstan we all run around
and D for the Davits to lower the boats down

Chor:

E's for the ensign that at our peak flew
F for the Foc'sle where lives our brave crew
G's for the galley where the salt junks smell strong
and H for the halliards we hoist with a song

Chor:

I for the Eye bolts no good for the feet
J for the Jib boys - stand by the lee sheet
K's for the Knight heads where the petty officers stand
and L's for the Leeside - hard found by new hands!!

Chor:

M's for the main mast - so stout and so strong
N's for the needle that neer poitns wrong
O's for the Oars of our old jolly boat
and P's for the Pinnace that lively do float

Chor:

Q's for the Quartedeck where the officers stand
R's for the rudder - keeps the ship in command
S for the Stun'sails to send her along
and T for the Top mast to get there takes long.

Chor:

U's for the UNiform - mainly wonr aft
V's for the vangs lying from the main shaft
W's for water -we're on a pint and a pound
and X marks the spot where old Stormy was drowned

Chor:

Y's for the Yardarm - takes a good sailor man
Z is for Zoe - I 'm her fancy man ...
Z is also for Zero in the cold winter time
and now we have brought all the letters in rhyme

Chor:

[Traditional sea shanty Agnes and Vollsanger sang for the Privateers when it became clear that literacy was not a major skill with Captain Travis and his crew]

Words and arr. Vollsanger]
(c) iws 2005