The Devil in the Draft

(Verse 1)

The glass went south and the sky turned black

As we cleared the harbor mouth

The Old Man’s blind on the applejack

And we’re steering further South

There’s a gale-force blow on the starboard bow

And the scuppers are running red

If we don’t get the canvas battened now

We’ll all be cold and dead!

(Chorus)

So haul away on the sheet, me boys!

Let the heavens scream and roar!

We’ll make enough of a bloody noise

To wake the dead on shore!

The hull is groaning, she’s taking on

And the main-mast’s gone to graft

But we’ll keep on drinking till the dawn

With the Devil in the draft!

(Verse 2)

The jib is fouled and the riggings shot

And the swell is twenty high

The first mate’s tied in a sailor’s knot

While the lightning splits the sky

"Heave away!" comes the bosun’s yell

As he clings to a keg of gin

"If we’re going down to the jaws of Hell

Then let the tide come in!"

(Chorus)

So haul away on the sheet, me boys!

Let the heavens scream and roar!

We’ll make enough of a bloody noise

To wake the dead on shore!

The hull is groaning, she’s taking on

And the main-mast’s gone to graft

But we’ll keep on drinking till the dawn

With the Devil in the draft!

(Bridge)

(Heavy boot-stomps)

The sea don’t give a damn for you

The sea don’t give a damn for me

She’ll swallow up the whole damn crew

And dump us in the lee!

(Verse 3)

The morning sun is a sickly grey

And the swell has settled down

We’ve lived to fight for another day

In this godforsaken town

So crack a cask and drain it dry

For the boat that didn’t split

We looked the Reaper in the eye

And didn’t give a shit!

(Final Chorus)

So haul away on the sheet, me boys!

The storm has done its worst!

We made enough of a bloody noise

With a spirit and a thirst!

The hull is groaning, she’s taking on

And the main-mast’s gone to graft

But we’re still here to see the dawn

With the Devil in the draft!