All the sailors they're all home from leave
And everybody's waiting for them to try to deceive
The storekeepers have drawn their lace curtains bare
And all the women and the wee young girls all waiting there

Oh, but how the ladies pay
Oh, if they only knew how the ladies pay
Yeah now, how the ladies pay
Oh, when the men they've gone away

Nobody is standing on upon the door
And nobody is feeding any of the poor
The poor sick soldier lies in bed beside his girl
Thinking of another place on the other side of the world
ah

How the ladies pay
Oh-oh, oh, how the ladies pay
When the men they've gone away
Oh, I wish I knew how the ladies pay

Day and night, night and day
how the ladies pay
Day and night, night and day
how the ladies pay
Day and night
night and day
Day and night
day and night, night and day, ladies pay now

Night and day, day and night
how the ladies pay
Day and night, night and day
how the ladies pay
Day and night now
night and day and now
How the pay now
oh, how the pay now

Ladies pay, ladies pay
ah, ladies pay the way now
Ladies pay, ah, ladies pay
ah, ladies pay
Night and day, night and day, night and day
oh, how the ladies pay
Oh, night and day, night and day, night and day
oh, how the ladies pay