Chorus:

The song of a ship begins with the rhythm of the 

hammer,

And it grows with the work of all the men who build 

her.

She finds her voice and sings in every line and every 

sail

A harmony with wind and sea, a duet with the gale.



First you find the trees whose curves are just right

Fell them to make timber, and use all your might

Haul the timber to the river, fit it to the mold

Get every piece just right, it'll be a sight to behold



Now we lay the keel, it's the first thing to get done,

Scarf the stem and fix the stern mortise and tenon

Heave your backs, my lads, and set the square frames

For the next job that we've got the transom stern to 

stage.



Chorus



Man the saw and line the planks, short straw gets the 

pit

Dub that oak frame with the adze so every strake will 

fit

Now mind the augers, boys, and drill those holes true

Twenty thousand trunnels to hit and the day's almost 

through



Now build those stanchions up and plank her decks with 

pine

Sailors'll work the Weather deck, in the Lower they'll 

live just fine

You caulkers drive that oakum in and pay out all those 

seams

And we'll get her hull all coppered up so she sails 

like a dream



Chorus



Build the rudder from the timber and fix it with iron 

pins

Then ship it on the sternpost, watch the tiller don't 

crack your shins

It's been most of a year's work and the wheel is 

finally set

That's the last we have on the hull, but we're not 

finished yet



With three masts and square-rigged sails she'll be a 

proper ship

The first thing that we'll set on her will be jib and 

bowsprit

Then we'll fit the foremast with the main and 

mizzenmast behind

Now you riggers come aboard and get her fixed with all 

her lines



Chorus



Standing rigging will hold the masts, these are the 

shrouds and stays

Rove off the running rigging for working all her sails

This spider's web of hemp run through blocks each 

sailor must learn

From the headsail at the bow to the gaff-rigged spanker 

'stern



They'll write songs my lads, about the sailors on that 

ship,

They'll sing of the adventures or the dangers of their 

trip.

And as those songs are sung, we'll not hear a single 

note

As our backs are bent and hammers ring while we build 

another boat.



Chorus x2