Funny that this thread should appear now...

This is one of my favorites to sing. My main complaint has been "Its too bloody short!" I tried writing a couple verses, but they sounded just like that: written by an amateur. So I started listening and stealing...

From Ken Shatz of NexTradition, I got:

For five long years I courted Sally,
But all she did was dilly-dally.

When I get home I'll marry Sally,
We'll have kids and count 'em by the tally.

And from Ian Robb, at this year's Mystic Fest, I nicked:

Shipped on board o' the Robert E. Lee, boys
Spent our money both fast and free, we were....

We've got British ammunition and French chanpagne, boys
When we get to Charleston gonna feel no pain.

Shipped on board of a Charleston Liner
Carolina's fine, but St. George is finer.

(I had my pad with me and wrote fast--I had heard him do it a while ago and only managed to memorize the first.)

I don't know if any of these verses are traditional, but they sure are fun to sing--I managed to debut them at the pub sing after the Songs of Sail Fest in Kenneybunk on Saturday--no one seemed to mind.