As I walked down in London Street,
The press gang there I chanced to meet.
They asked if I would join the fleet,
On board of a man-of-war boys, on board of a man-of-war.
Said I you shipmates tell me true,
What kind of treatment they give to you,
That I may know before I go,
Onboard a man-of-war boys, on board of a man-of-war.
Well the first thing they did, they took me in hand,
They flogged me with the tar of a strand,
And lashing me, did I go not down,
On board a man of war boys, on board of a man of war.
And they hung me up by my two thumbs,
Thry flogged me, til the blood did run,
And thats the usage they gave to me,
On board a man of war boys, on board of a man of war.
Well I had a wife, and her name was Grey,
It was her that led me to shocking the day,
It was her that caused me to go away,
On board a man of war boys, on board of a man of war.
And if e're I get my feet onshore,
To see those london girls once more,
I'll never go to sea anymore,
On board a man of war boys, on board of a man of war.
On board a man of war boys, on board of a man of war.
Man of war, of war, of war.
Man of war, of war, of war.