Annabelle Lee

Come hither me friends and hear me
Relate a sorry refrain
About the lot of an Irish lad
Upon the Northern Main
No matter your inclination to sail the briny sea
Just steer your course as far as you can
Away from the Annabelle Lee

One morning as I was a strolling to take the Dublin air
A gent did chance to offer to me
A tankard of English Ale
No Irishman true would spurn such a thing
Good drinks are rare and few
And though t'was but a single draft
It nearly me senses unglued
Said he me Lad you seem fearfully pale
And jumbly in the knees
But I've a sovereign remedy out upon the open seas
An excellent man and a generous soul
His heart so fine and pure
He summoned a sailor friend of his
To effect for me the cure

Come hither me friends and hear me
Relate a sorry refrain
About the lot of an Irish lad
Upon the Northern Main
No matter your inclination to sail the briny sea
Just steer your course as far as you can
Away from the Annabelle Lee

And shortly it t'was I found myself
With fellows from his ship
Two brawny tars held close to me
All for fear that I should slip
They kept me within their good company
Till out at sea we was
T'was then they read me their articles
And signed me up to their cause
And such was the life of fine leisure
That they did bid me keep
The only toil they asked of me
Was to tend the Captains sheep
T'was two ewes he had in their pens below
For mutton, it was said
Though never I saw them rendered up
And sandwiched between biscuits or bread

On nights whenever the sea was calm
And I was in the sack
I'd hear me mates going down below
To visit poor Maudy and Black
And so each by each in pairs they'd come
And each by each return
With faces lit by such joyful smiles
Transfiguring all in their turn
And then one fine day the captain came
To give me the straight report
He told me what sailors did for fun
And showed me his nightly sport
The very next day we put into shore
And over the side, I leaped
I've still no use for their English Ales
Or Limeys and sea-going sheep

Come hither me friends and hear me
Relate a sorry refrain
About the lot of an Irish lad
Upon the Northern Main
No matter your inclination to sail the briny sea
Just steer your course as far as you can
Away from the Annabelle Lee



Credits
Writer(s): David Andrew Simmons
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