^^BLESS 'EM ALL (CLAN LINE VERSION)
(Coll. Ron Baxter, 1966, source singer unknown)

There's a Clan boat just leaving Bombay,
Bound for old Blighty's shore;
Heavily loaded with bum engineers,
Bound for the land they adore.
She's down by the head, she's listing to port,
She's making three knots with the tide;
But you'll get no enjoyment in the Clan Line employment,
So come on, me lads, bless 'em all!

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all;
The Tindal, the Kasab and all;
Bless all the "Sparkies", they're all round the twist;
Bless all the pursers, and their limp wrists!
If the engineers can get us home,
The "Kali Pani" no more will I roam;
'Cause you'll get no promotion, this side of the ocean,
So cheer up, me lads, bless 'em all!

There is the "Old Man", he's counting the days
'Til they will let him retire;
There stands the Chief; he's gnashing his teeth -
All the coal that he's bought just won't fire.
But there's many a 'prentice just starting his time,
There's many a fool's just begun -
That's signed with "Scots Navy" for four years of slavery,
Out here on the Hooghli run.

Bless 'em all, bless 'em all;
The Engineers, Two, Three and Four;
Bless the Kalasi and Secuni,
Bless the Serang and the Bhundari.
Though the Burra Sahib says "When we dock -
You won't see me back with this lot!"
Next trip you'll find, he'll be back with Clan Line;
So cheer up, my lads, bless 'em all.
RJC

Bless 'em All (Clan Boat leaving Bombay): Notes (RB)

I heard this first on the S.S. Clan Sutherland, 1966. It was known on every other ship I sailed on, with slight variations. I have no doubt there are other company versions.

Clan Line had Lascar crews (the term "Lascar" was never used at sea, at least with Clan Line; the crew were variously referred to as "the crew" (!), "the men", or collectively as "Abdul". Consequently, bits of Hindustani frequently crept into Clan Line songs.

"The Malim Sahib's Hindustani", first published in 1920 as an aid to officers working with Indian crews, is still in print (4th reprint, 2007, ISBN 978-0-85174-187-1) and available from the original publishers, Brown, Son & Ferguson, Glasgow (http://skipper.co.uk/books/bn1871.htm) – who also publish Capt. W. B. Whall's "Sea Songs and Shanties".

"Bum engineers" - "duff" or "useless" engineers - nothing sexual in the term.

Tindal - 2nd Bo'sun

Kasab - lamptrimmer

Sparkies - radio officers (not electricians!)

Chief Stewards (sometimes Pursers) - all regarded as potential homosexuals

Kali Pani - kali (pronounced "kala") = black; pani = water, i.e. the ocean

"the coal that he bought just won't fire" - the Chief Engineer used to be given an allowance to buy coal. If he could make a profit by buying cheaper grades, nobody minded as long as the ship continued to steam. The Chief Steward was similarly responsible for the food rations for the trip.

"Four years of slavery" - the duration of the apprentice's term.

Scots Navy - Clan Line

Engineers , 2, 3, and 4 - the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Engineers

Secuni – quartermaster

Jhemadar - a rank with no equivalent in the Merchant Navy; a sweeper, also known as Topas

Kalasi - seaman/A.B.

Serang – bo'sun

Bhandari - cook

Pani Wallah - water-man (boiler hand)

Bhurra Sahib - Chief Officer, 1st Mate (Bhurra Malim Sahib)

The last Clan boats built as coal burners came into service in the 1930s. The last coal burners went out of service in the early '50s