Sailor Ben Hope 1884

by James Pitt-Payne, London UK - 22 June 2011
2011

One dirty night
by the broken light
of a wat'ry clouded moon,
We saw that the sky
was as black as pitch
and looked for a big storm soon.
And the skipper said
as he shook his head
we're in for a rare old gale,
so bo's'ain pipe all hands on deck
for we're bound to shorten sail.

Reef topsails, lads,
lay out the yard,
yo ho, yo ho,
Reef topsails, lads,
aloft aloft
away we go!
Down down comes the gale my lads,
Quick shorten sail!
Reef, reef the top sails lads,
yo ho, yo ho!

Up flew each hand
at the Capt's command
but the first was young Ben Hope,
The whole ship's pride
and as fine as salt
as ever yet handled rope.
But the yard snapped short
with a loud report.
As the storm broke fierce and free.
And we stood aghast
for Ben was cast
right into the boiling sea.

Reef topsails, lads,
lay out the yard,
yo ho, yo ho,
Reef topsails, lads,
aloft aloft
away we go!
Down down comes the gale my lads,
Quick shorten sail!
Reef, reef the top sails lads,
yo ho, yo ho!

We mourned our mate
and his awful fate
and when all ashore we came,
I goes to tell his Poll the news
and feels uncommon glum,
When out comes Ben
as lively then
as if he'd ne'er been drowned!
He'd been picked up
and carried home,
and he sings out safe and sound.

Reef topsails, lads,
lay out the yard,
yo ho, yo ho,
Reef topsails, lads,
aloft aloft
away we go!
Down down comes the gale my lads,
Quick shorten sail!
Reef, reef the top sails lads,
yo ho, yo ho!

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Sailor Ben Hope 1884
Music by William Warwick
Lyrics by Oswald
© MDCCCLXXXIV by S.Brainard & Sons
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Wednesday 22 June 2011 at 20.41
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*