| Strike the
Bell Traditional Anonymous Parody of Ring the Bell, Watchman |
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| Down on the quarter deck and walking about, There is the second mate so steady and so stout; What he is a-thinkin' of he doesn't know himself And we wish that he would hurry up and strike, strike the bell. Chorus: Strike the bell second mate, let us go below; Look ya well to windward you can see it's gonna blow; Look at the glass, you can see it has fell, Oh we wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell. Down on the main deck and workin' at the pumps, There is the starboard watch just longing for their bunks; Look out to windward, and see a great swell, And we wish that you would hurry up and strike, strike the bell Forward on the fo'c'sle head and keepin' sharp lookout, Yonder Johnson standin', a-longin' fer to shout, Lights' a-burnin' bright sir and everything is well, And he's wishin' that the second mate would strike, strike the bell. Aft at the wheelhouse old Anderson stands, Graspin' at the helm with his frostbitten hands, Lookin' at the compass through the course is clear as hell And he's wishin' that the second mate would strike, strike the bell. Aft on the quarter deck our gallant captain stands, Starin' out to sea with a spyglass in his hand, What he is a-thinkin' of we know very well, He's thinkin' more of shortenin' sail than strikin' the bell. |
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There is an MP3 available of this song by Wild Mountain Time/Three Pints Gone on the Cantaria web site. The crew in this song is awaiting the second mate to call time to allow them to change shifts so they don't have to respond to the looming storm, having already put in a full duty day. This song parodies, with the same melody, Ring the Bell, Watchman by Henry Clay Work, written in 1865. fo'c'sle (fox-ul) - abbreviation of "forecastle," the forward, raised section of the ship. |
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