I have the original "78" record of this song

It was in two parts, one part on each side of the record (over 6 minutes long in total)

This is a transcription from the record. (A few words I could not make out, but the record is almost 90 years old; and very scratchy) The title on the record is "He played his ukulele as the ship went down". The titles in brackets between the verses are instrumental snippets linking to the next verse

Words and music: A. LeClerq 1932

Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho!
I'll tell you the tale of a sailor
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
As the captain of a whaler.
Of his gallant deeds you all should know.
Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho!

I'll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee,
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea.
The bravest man was Captain Brown,
For he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

All the crew was in despair.
Some rushed here and the others rushed there,
But the captain sat in the captain's chair,
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

(Rule Brittania)

The owners wirelessed to the crew:
"Do the best that you can do.
She's only insured for half-a-crown,
So I'll be out of pocket if the ship goes down."

The captain answered, "Holy 'C'!
It's all up with the Nancy Lee.
You're all right but what about me?
I shall wet me Ukulele when the ship goes down."

(Sailors Hornpipe)
Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho!

When they heard the news at the admiralty,
They wirelessed to the Nancy Lee:
"We'd like to speak to Captain Brown
If he isn't very busy when the ship goes down."

The captain answered, "What's to do?"
The admiralty said, "At half past two,
We shall all be listening in to you
As you play your ukulele as the ship goes down."

(The girl I left behind me)

The pets on board were all scared stiff.
The cat meowed and the monkey sniffed.
The old green parrot hung upside down
Saying, "Scratch a poll-polly" as the ship went down.

The crow's nest fell and killed the crow.
The starboard watch was two hours slow.
But the captain sang, "Vo-do-de-oh-do"
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

(The British Grenadiers)

An Irishman said, "Begorrah! I'll fight
The very next man that comes in sight."
"You can't do that," said Captain Brown.
"You'll have to box the compass as the ship goes down."

The captain issued from the store
A cake of soap to every four
And said, "Now wash yourselves ashore
While I play me ukulele as the ship goes down."

(???????)

"Have faith in me," the captain cried.
To this remark the crew replied,
"You can trust us, Captain Brown,
To finish off the rum before the ship goes down."

The skipper shouted, "No back chat!
I'll do my best, but after that,
Do you mind if I pass round the hat
As I play me ukulele when the ship goes down?"

("Haa haa haa hee hee hee, little brown jug don't I love thee")

The skipper shouted fore and aft
"I'll have no slackers aboard this craft,
So understand," said Captain Brown,
"I want everybody present when the ship goes down.

"The cook's gone mad and the bosun's lame.
The rudder has gone and the deck's aflame.
My G string's flat but all the same,
I shall play me ukulele when the ship goes down."

(Whistle)

He shouted, "Man the rafts!
With chains and a rope you can bind 'em."
The bosun's searched both fore and aft
But dashed if he could find 'em.
At the mercy of the raging sea
Was the good ship Nancy Lee.

They struggled on against the storm.
The cold, cold wind was far from warm,
And all the crew and Captain Brown
Played ring-a-ring-a-roses as the ship went down.

They shouted, "Women and children first!"
The engineer came up and cursed,
Then all of a sudden his boiler burst
As he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

(Hearts of Oak)

The captain's wife was on the ship,
And he was glad she'd made the trip.
As she could swim, she might not drown,
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down.

They sprung a leak just after dark,
And through the hole came a hungry shark,
And it bit the skipper near the water mark,
So he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

(Polly Wolly Doodle)

He had sailed the sea, they say,
For twenty-two years come pancake day,
So it's no wonder Captain Brown
Wished he was in the army when the ship went down.

He'd played the part of a bold AB.
He'd played the game on land and sea,
But this was the very first time that he
Had played his ukulele as the ship went down.

(The Minstrel boy)

When they reached the lifeboat, how they cursed!
The second mate had got there first.
The cook said, "Aye, I'll be the last to drown,
'Cause I'm climbing up the rigging as the ship goes down."

Soon it was a total wreck.
The captain stood on the burning deck,
And the flames leaped up around his neck,
And burned his ukulele as the ship went down.

(Woad)

The mate said, "It's OK with me.
The shipwreck suits me to a 'T'.
I owe ten bob to Captain Brown,
And I'll never have to pay him if the ship goes down."

The pessimistic cook said he
Was sure the crew very soon would be
Playing a harp; said Brown, "Not me!
I shall play me ukulele as the ship goes down."

(toreador)
The mate had a saxophone. (Tuba)
The cook had a trombone. (Slide)
The drummer had an old tin, (
And another had a violin. (dowscale)
The bosun had a banjo. (Plink plink plonk)
The stoker had a piccolo. (downscale)
"You can play what you like," said Captain Brown.
"I shall play me ukulele as the ship goes down."

And that is the tale of the Nancy Lee,
The ship that got ship-wreck'd at sea,
And Captain Brown who was in command,
Now plays his ukulele in the Mermaid Band.