When the night watch died and the dawn watch tide
Rolled high on the starboard bow
And the rigging spliced to the sails with ice
And the wind began to howl
We chipped and hauled with the rigger's maul
And we forced the main to reef,
ANd the good ship held to the course like Death,
With a hell-white bone in her teeth.

On the long sea road, with a BS load
Such merry souls were we,
As the main yards groaned midst the holy stones,
On the way to Forty-Three!

As the dawn came light and we fled the night
Then the ice began to thaw,
And we knew we were past the reach of death,
And beyond all human Law
And we had only Mom to answer to
As four bells began to chime,
When a cable off of the starboard bow
Passed the Forty-Two and Nine.

On the long sea road, with a BS load
Such merry souls were we,
As the main yards groaned midst the holy stones,
On the way to Forty-Three!