Adieu, sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu
I’m going across the ocean, love, to seek for something new.
Come change your ring with me, dear girl, come change your ring with me
That it might be a token of true love while I am on the sea.
And when I am across the sea, you’ll know not where I am.
Kind letters I will write to you from every foreign land.
The secrets of your heart, dear girl, are the best of my good will,
And let my body be where it might, my heart is with you still.
There’s a heavy storm a-rising; see how it gathers ‘round
While we poor souls on the ocean wide are fighting for the crown.
Our officers commanding us and them we must obey
Expecting every moment for to get cast away.[^1]
There are tinkers, tailors, and shoemakers, lie snoring fast asleep
While we poor souls on the ocean wide are plowing up the deep.
There’s nothing to protect us, love, or to keep us from the cold
On the ocean wide where we must bide, like jolly seamen bold.
But when these wars are over there’ll be peace on every shore.
We’ll return to our wives and our families and the girls that we adore.
We’ll call for liquor merrily and we’ll spend our money free,
And when our money it is all gone, we will boldly go to sea.