The Sailor's Alphabet - David Jones, Bill Shute

A for the anchor that swings at our bow

B for the bowsprit to the wild seas to plow

C for the capstan we all walk around

D for the davitts that lower our boat down

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong

E for the ensign that flies at our peak

F for the forecastle where the good sailors sleep

G for the galley where the cooks hop around

H for the hallyards we haul up and down

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong

I for the irons the ship is made of

J for the jib, which moves her along

K for the keel at the bottom of the ship

L for the lanyards that never do slip

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong

M for the mainmast so neat and so strong

N for the needle, which never go wrong

O for the oars that row our small boat

P for the pumps that keep her afloat

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong

Q for the quarter deck where officers stand

R for the rudder that steers her to land

S for the sailors who move her along

T for the topsails we hoist with a song

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong

U for the union, which we all adore

V for the vane that flies at our fore

W for the wheel where we stand our time

And the other three letters, you can’t bring in rhyme

So merry, so merry are we

There’s none so blithe as a sailor at sea

Sing high, sing low, as we sail along

Give the old ship the breeze, and there’s nothing goes wrong