So it is "civies." Sorry about that, Barry. Alice, "heave up songs" is what my father calls them. I think you're right about the language barrier but what's the matter with that? Just because someone calls it a different name doesn't mean anything. Anyway, here is the words to one I like:

Big Bow Wow

From Yartmouth Harbour we set sail
The wind was blowin' the Devil of a gail
All our ring-tails set and our bafflin' is at peak
And our dolphin stirkers plowin' up the deep

Chorus:
With a Big Bow Wow tow row row
Fall der all der I do da

Now the captian comes up from down below
He looks Aloft and he looks alow
He looks alow and he looks aloft
Sayin' it's coil those ropes boys fore and aft

Chorus:

Then back to his cabin he quickly crawls
Unto the steward he loudly calls
Go bring me a glass that will make me cough
For it's better weather here then it is up aloft

Chorus:

Now it's we poor sailors standing on the deck
With the blasted rain pouring down our necks
Not a drop of grog will he to us afford
But he damns our eyes with every other word

Chorus:

Well there's one thing we sailors crave
For him to find a watery grave
We'll shaove him down in a dark deep hole
Where the sharks will have his body "AND THE DEVIL TAKE HIS SOUL"

Chorus 2x:

Anyone know what dolphin strikers means?

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HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 16-Jan-2001.