Here's where I found the verses to "The Benjamin's Lamentations":


Oxford Book of Sea Songs, pp. 44-46

The Benjamins' Lamentations
for their sad loss at Sea, by Storms and Tempests

Captain Chilver's gone to sea
Hey, boys, O, boys,
With all his company, hey,
Captain Chilver's gone to sea
With all his company
In the brave Benjamin, O.

Thirty guns this ship did bear
Hey, boys, O, boys,
They were bound for Venice fair, hey,
Thirty guns this ship did bear
And a hundred men so clear
In the brave Benjamin, O.

But by ill storms at sea
Hey, boys, O, boys,
Which bred our misery, hey,
But by ill storms at sea
Were drove o' of th' way
In the brave Benjamin, O.

We had more wind than we could bear,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
Our ship it would not steer, hey,
We had more wind than we could bear,
Our masts and sails did tear
In the poor Benjamin, O.

The first harm that we had
Hey, boys, O, boys,
I makes my heart so sad, hey,
The first harm that we had
We lost our fore-mast-head
O the poor Benjamin, O.

The seas aloud did roar
Hey, boys, O, boys,
We being far from shore, hey,
The seas no favour shows
Unto friends nor foes
O the poor Benjamin, O.

The next harm that we spied,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
Then we to heaven cried, hey,
Down fell our main-mast head
Which struck our senses dead
In the poor Benjamin, O.

Then we with seas were crossed,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
And on the ocean tossed, hey,
Then we with seas were tossed,
Many a brave man was lost
In the brave Benjamin, O.

The next harm that we had,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
We had cause to be sad, hey,
The next harm that we had
We lost four men from the yard
In the poor Benjamin, O.

Disabled as I name,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
We were drove on the main, hey,
So the next harm we had
We lost our rudder's head
In the poor Benjamin, O.

Then we all fell to prayer,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
The Lord our lives would spare, hey,
Then we fell all to prayer
And at last he did hear
Us in the Benjamin, O.

Although we sailed in fear,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
The Lord our ship did steer, hey
Our prayers so fervent were
That we had passage clear
Into brave Plymouth Sound, O.

When we came in Plymouth Sound,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
Our hearts did then resound, hey,
When we came in Plymouth Sound
Our grief with joy was crowned
In the poor Benjamin, O.

When we came all on shore,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
Every man at his door, hey,
When we came all on shore
Our grief we did deplore
In the brave Benjamin, O.

You gallant young men all,
Hey, boys, O, boys,
'Tis unto you I call, hey,
Likewise brave seamen all
Lament the loss and fall
Of the poor Benjamin, O

Come my noble hearts of gold,
Ay boys, O boys
That on Neptune's waves [have rolled], ay
Come my noble hearts of gold
Your ancient courage bold
Like the brave Benjamin, oh.


I first heard the 1900s version from The Friends of Fiddlers Green with Sarah Grey and Owen McBride back in the early 1960s when they stormed into East Lansing, MI, for a concert.

Cheerily,
Charlie Ipcar