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Charley Noble A guided tour of Ratcliffe Highway (46) RE: A guided tour of Ratcliffe Highway 29 Sep 23


If you'd like a tour, there's this old broadside:

An entirely different traditional song entitled "Ratcliff Highway" can be found in A SEA CHEST, edited by C. Fox Smith, pp. 169-171. She describes it as dating back to the 1840's. The tune is the perennial "Come all you jolly..."

RATCLIFF HIGHWAY ("Sailor's Frolic, or: Life in the East")
(Anon., Broadside circa 1840; tune: Tune: variant of Scots "Caledoni-o")

Come all you jolly seamen,
And listen unto me;
Avast a while, I'll make you smile,
And tell you of a Spree.
There's funny craft in Wapping,
In streaming colours gay,
And Pirates too, and Fireships,
In Ratcliff Highway.

So, mind those buxom lasses,
In their flying colours gay,
Or soon they'll clear your lockers
In Ratcliff Highway!

The Old Three Crowns I anchor'd in,
Oh such a jolly crew;
There's rough and smooth from ev'ry clime,
And copper colour too.
Such lasses there, so neat and fair,
With hair both grey and red,
Some with no nose and some no teeth,
And damag'd figureheads.

The Blue Anchor I next entered –
A Frigate took in tow;
I was run aground, my cargo lost,
I found that I must go;
I sail'd into another port,
And so by the next day
My hulk well-rigged and water-tight
Was in Ratcliff Highway.

Then there's the Three Jolly Sailors,
Such grog there in galore,
And lasses too, there's twenty,
I think as many more;
They foot it there so neatly,
But mind, without a doubt,
You'll find they'll cut your cable,
So keep a good lookout.

The Old Rose and Britannia,
Such Frigates there's at hand,
There's crooked Loo and squinting Sue,
And bandy Mary Ann;
There's skinny Nell the yellow girl,
And flash Maria neat,
There's bouncing Het and brazen Bet
That's been through all the fleet.

Then in the famed King William
That's in New Gravel Lane,
There's Jenny Jones all skin and bones,
And ugly Molly Payne;
Thick-lipped Kit as black as jet
With a bustle such a size,
And snuffling Liz, with such a phiz,
And Sukey Gravy-eyes.

At the famed Old Barley Mow,
Hailed a frigate tight;
Steer'd away, without delay,
And boarded her that night,
She took my watch and money too
And clothes without delay.
Two bullies stout they turned me out,
Into Ratcliff Highway.

So all you jolly sailors,
I'd have you bear in mind
There's Pirate Craft in every port,
And Fireships you'll find;
And if you wish to have a spree,
When out upon a cruise,
Get moored all right, so snug and tight,
In the port of the Paddy's Goose.

And mind those buxom lasses,
In their flying colours gay,
Or soon they'll clear your lockers
In Ratcliff Highway.


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