The Shanty Village - Kikiyama

Dear dirty London in the pouring rain I wish to God I was back on the sea again Though that belongs to the world of never will be There was never a wilder bastard than me on the sea I could fuck all the whores in damnation, me boys They wriggled and hollered and made a great noise I'd drink 'til I stank and then drink plenty more And I won't go down to the sea any more But if I had ten pounds then I'd raise a loud cheer And I'd toast all me neighbours both distant and dear And I'd shoot back great belly-crippling buckets of beer And a pox and a curse on the people 'round here Wouldn't give you me the price of a half pint of beer Wouldn't give you me the price of a cup of good cheer A pox and a curse on the people round here, yaa-yaa! A man's ambition must indeed be small To write his name upon a shithouse wall But before I die I'll add my regal scrawl To show the world I'm left with sweet fuck all And when all of us bold shithouse poets do die A monument grand they will raise to the sky A monument made just to mark our great wit A monument of solid shit now, me boys I met with Bill James, we fought over crusts I called him a whore and he booted me crotch Then we shared out the jack and we thought it a treat The compliments pass when the quality meet The compliments pass when the quality meet The compliments pass when the quality meet The compliments pass when the quality meet, ya-haw!

Well me father often told me when I was just a lad A sailor's life is very hard, the food is always bad But now I've joined the navy, I'm aboard a man-o-war And now I've found a sailor ain't a sailor anymore Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast And if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your civvies ready for another run-ashore A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore Well the killick of our mess he says we had it soft It wasn't like that in his day when we were up aloft We like our bunks and sleeping bags, but what's a hammock for? Swinging from the deckhead, or lying on the floor? Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast And if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your civvies ready for another run-ashore A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore They gave us an engine that first went up and down And then with more technology the engine went around We know our steam and diesels, but what's a mainyard for? A stoker ain't a stoker with a shovel anymore Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast And if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your civvies ready for another run-ashore A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast And if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your civvies ready for another run-ashore A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast And if you see a sailing ship it might be your last Just get your civvies ready for another run-ashore A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor anymore