Oh, a ship was all rigg'd and ready for sea,
And all of her sailors were fishes to be.
Chorus
So, blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow.
We're bound for the south'ard, so steady she goes.
Oh, first came the herring, the kind of the sea,
He jumped on the poop, "I'll be captain," said he.
The next was a flat fish, they call him the skate:
"If you be the captain, why, sure, I'm the mate."
The next came the hake, as black as a rook.
Says he, "I'm no sailor, I'll ship as the cook."
The next came the shark, with his two rows of teeth:
"Cook mind the cabbage, and I'll mind the beef."
And then came the codfish, with his chuckle head,
He jumped in the chains, began heaving the lead.
The next came the flounder, as flat as the ground:
"Damn your eyes, chuckhead, mind how you sound."
The next comes the mack'rel with his striped back,
He jumped to the waist for to board the main tack.
And then came the sprat, the smallest of all,
He jumped on the poop, and cried, "Main topsail haul!"