1169. Jack Was Every Inch a Sailor (Traditional Newfoundland)

Details

Description

This traditional Newfoundland and Labrador humorous song about a whaler is based on the biblical story of Jonah. It may have been adapted from a New York music hall song "Every Inch a Sailor", which in turn was based on Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore".

I learned this song when my wife and I visited Newfoundland earlier this year.

Lyrics and chords:
C .............................................................. F ......................... G7
'Twas twenty-five or thirty years since Jack first saw the light.
.......................................................................................... C
He came into this world of woe one dark and stormy night.
......................................................................... F ............... G7
He was born on board his father's ship as she was lying to
..................................................................................... C
'Bout twenty-five or thirty miles southeast of Bacalhao.

Chorus:
..................................... G7
Jack was every inch a sailor,
............................................ C
Five and twenty years a whaler.
..................................... G7
Jack was every inch a sailor.
......................................................... C
He was born upon the bright blue sea.

When Jack grew up to be a man he went to Labrador
He fished in Indian Harbour where his father fished before
On his returning in the fog he met a heavy gale
And Jack was swept into the sea and swallowed by a whale.

The whale went straight for Baffin Bay 'bout 90 knots an hour
And every time he'd blow a spray, he'd send it in a shower
"Oh, now," says Jack unto himself, "I must see what he's about."
He caught the whale all by the tail and turned him inside out.



You can see a playlist of my Newfoundland songs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzD6E5jANsU&list=PLCi_Xcl2_fAX2YjEa5H4qK6bTzY3IByxK

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com