Come, all ye jolly sailors bold,
Whose hearts are cast in honour's mould,
While British glory I unfold,
Hussah to the Arethusa!
She is a frigate tight and brave
As ever stemm'd the dashing wave:
Her men are staunch to their fav'rite launch,
And when the foe shall meet our fire,
Sooner than strike we'll all expire
On board the Arethusa!

'Twas in the spring fleet she went out,
The English Channel to cruise about,
When four French sail in show so stout
Bore down on the Arethusa.
The famed Belle Poule straight ahead did lie-
The Arethusa seems to fly,
Not a sheet or a tack
Or a brace did she slack:
Though the Frenchmen laughed and thought it stuff,
But they knew not the handful of men, how tough,
On board of the Arethusa.

On deck five hundred men did dance,
The stoutest they could find in France.
We with two hundred did advance
On board of the Arethusa.
Our captain hail'd the Frenchman, "Ho! "
The Frenchman then cried out " Hollo! "
"Bear down, d'ye see,
To our Admiral's lee."
"No, no," says the Frenchman, "that can't be."
"Then I must lug you along with me,"
Says the saucy Arethusa

The fight was off the Frenchman's land.
We forced them back upon the strand,
For we fought until not a stick would stand
Of the gallant Arethusa.
And now we've driven the foe ashore,
Never to fight with Britons more,
Let each fill a glass
To his fav'rite lass,
A health to the captain and officers true,
And all that belong to the jovial crew
On board of the Arethusa.

O come, list awhile, and you soon shall hear,
By the rolling sea lived a maiden fair.
Her father followed the smuggling trade,
Like a warlike hero:
Ch: Like a warlike hero that never was afraid.

Now, in sailor's clothing young Jane did go,
Dressed like a sailor from top to toe;
Her aged father was the only care
O this female smuggler
O this female smuggler who never did despair.

With her pistols loaded she went aboard.
And by her side hung a glittering sword,
In her belt two daggers; well armed for war
Was this female smuggler,
Was this female smuggler, who never feared a scar.

Now they had not sail-ed far from the land,
When a strange sail brought them to a stand.
"These are sea robbers," this maid did cry,
"But the female smugger,
But the female smuggler will conquer or will die."

Alongside, then, this strange vessel came.
"Cheer up," cried Jane, "we will board the same;
We'll run all chances to rise or fall,"
Cried this female smuggler,
Cried this female smuggler who never feared a ball.

Now they killed those pirates and took their store,
And soon returned to old Eng-a-land's shore.
With a keg of brandy she walked along,
Did this female smuggler,
Did this female smuggler, and sweetly sang a song.

Now they were followed by the blockade,
Who in irons strong did put this fair maid.
But when they brought her for to be ter'ied,
This young female smuggler,
This young female smuggler stood dress-ed like a bride.

Their commodore against her appeared,
And for her life she did greatly fear.
When he did find to his great surprise
'Twas a female smuggler,
'Twas a female smuggler had fought him in disguise.

He to the judge and the jury said,
"I cannot prosecute this maid,
Pardon for her on my knees I crave,
For this female smuggler,
For this female smuggler so valiant and so brave."

Then this commodore to her father went,
To gain her hand he asked his consent.
His consent he gained, so the commodore
And the female smuggler,
And the female smuggler are one for evermore.

As I was going to Derby, 'twas on a market day,
I met the finest ram, sir, that ever was fed on hay
Ch: That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie lie lie!

This ram and I got drunk sir, as drunk as drunk could be,
And when we sobered up, sir, we were far away out on the sea.

This wonderful old ram, sir, was playful as a kid;
He swallowed the captain's spyglass along with the bosun's fid.

One morning on the poop, sir, before eight bells was rung,
He grabbed the captain's sextant and took a shot at the sun.

One night 'twas wet and rough, sir, and the wind was blowing keen,
He borrowed my suit of oilskins and he took my trick at the wheel.

The butcher who killed this ram, sir, was up to his knees in blood,
And the boy who told the tale, sir, was carried away with the flood.

The crew of the Vencedora are handsome, strong and brave,
The smartest lot of sailors that ever sailed over the wave!