Was you ever on the Congo River?
Blow, boys, blow
Where fever makes the sailor shiver
Blow me bully boys, blow
A Yankee ship came down the river
Her masts and yards they shone like silver…
How d’you know she’s a Yankee clipper?
By the blood an’ guts that flow from her scuppers
Yonder came the Arrow packet
She fired her guns an’ I heard the racket
And who do you think was the skipper of her?
It’s old Bully Hayes; he’s a sailor robber
And who do you think was chief mate of her?
Why Boss-eyed Bill the Bowery Bastard
And what do you think that they had for breakfast?
The starboard side of an old sou’wester
And what do you think that they had for dinner?
A monkey’s heart and a donkey’s liver
And what do you think that they had for supper?
Belaying pin pie and a roll in the scupper
Blow today and blow tomorrow
And blow me from this ship of sorrow
Blow today and blow forever
And blow me down the Congo River