The tune...well I'm at University, thus away from home, and I'm not good at writing down music, though I can read it. Also, the tune that Allistair Brown uses is slightly modified, and he uses slightly modified words.

I might be able to get the tune from my dad soon, otherwise in 2 weeks when I'm home for the break.

However, I realized I did mess up some of the verses, in little, nearly unnoticeable ways.

The following should be the correct version.

I remember the day,
When I climbed that gangway,
With my new coat and jacket, so clean.
No bacon and eggs,
Till I got my sea legs;
T'was my first trip, Oh Lord, I was green!

CHORUS: Oh the old red duster,
On a tramp or a liner,
There'll be no pusser navy for me.
You can keep your salutes
And your spit-polished boots.
It's the old red duster for me.

On many's the ship,
I've made many's the trip
'Cross oceans and seas, far and wide calm and wild--
In ports, near and far,
I've been thrown from the bar
And by manys a young girl beguiled.

I sailed in the war
Like my uncle before,
From Britain, right down to Bombay.
With my little convoy bag
I sailed for the flag,
And the glory, and the medals, and the pay.

I was pulled from the pool,
I was nobody's fool:
It was the jaunt up to Murmansk for me.
But the union said, "No,
As a Fourth he can't go."
It's the union forever for me.

Now you know this old tramp's
Has a foc'sl that damp,
For her plates are half sprung and they weap.
The food's always bad,
The master's gone mad,
And those bastards, the owners, are cheap.

I've sweated and slaved,
At this engine I've raved,
Nursing this cripple along.
For her glands they're a-leaking,
And her joints, they're a-creaking.
At six knots, she's racing along.

I've been down in the hold,
In the heat and the cold
All day and all night as well,
And when my end's near,
I'll go without fear,
For I know it's been hotter than hell.

So now you all know,
Why the good sailors go,
Merchant seamen to be.
If you want any more,
Like whats come before,
You can bloody well sing it to me.