Spanish Ladies Songtext
von David Coffin

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain
For we′ve received orders to sail to old England
And we hope in a short time to see you again

And we'll rant and we′ll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

We hove our ship to with the wind from sou′west, boys
We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take
′Twas forty-five fathoms, with a light sandy bottom
So we squared our main yard and up channel did make

And we will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We′ll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues


The first land we sighted was calléd the Dodman
Next Rame′s Head off Plymouth, off Portsmouth and Wight
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover
And then we bore up for the South Foreland light

And we will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We′ll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

Then the signal was sent for the grand ship to anchor
And all in the Downs that night for to lie
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper
Haul up your clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly!

And we will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We′ll rant and we′ll roar all on the salt sea
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues

Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper
And let ev′ry man drink off his full glass
We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy
And here′s to the health of each true-hearted lass


And we will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We′ll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues