THE BARON LINE SONG (adapted for singing by Ron Baxter & Ross Campbell, from the DT version)
^^
(Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.
To Basra, Hong Kong, Rio or Chittagong
"Ropey Ropners" may be fine,
But give me the Baron Line,
Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.

Oh, you may have sailed on Coasters,
And you may have been on Tramps,
You may have sailed on Trawlers,
On the great Newfoundland Banks,
You may have been on Tankers,
And had a terrible time,
But you've never yet, come through the 'Mill',
Till you've sailed the Baron Line.

(Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.
If you think you're going home, you're bloody wrong,
British Tankers may be fine,
But give me the Baron Line,
Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.

The First Mate was an ex-con,
And was 'spying' for a ship,
He saw the "Baron Murray"
Lying beside an old Coal Tip,
He asked the Skipper for a job,
Who said, "You'll do damn fine,
For we've plenty of room for bums and stiffs,
In the good old Baron Line".

(Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along,
To the turning of the screw, we'll sing this song,
"Blue Star Fliers" may be fine,
But give me the Baron Line,
Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.

The Skipper came from Tokyo,
The Third Mate from Tiree,
The crew came down from Glasgow,
And the Greasers from Dundee,
Stewards off the Hong Kong Coast,
Apprentices from the Tyne,
Oh, you've never seen such a mixed up lot,
Till you've sailed the Baron Line.

(Chorus)….Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.
With the sweepings of the Pool this tub is thronged,
Though the London Greeks are fine,
Just give me the Baron Line,
Roll along you hungry bastards roll along.

Notes (RJC)

Ron had been looking for the Baron Line Song for quite a while. There was a related thread going for some time in the Mudcat forum which produced a couple of single verses before someone (anon GUEST whose father Arnis Boika sailed on the Baron Glenconner in the late '50s) supplied a more complete version. He referred to another website where he had found the words. I recall finding it at the time, but that seems to have disappeared since. We augmented the choruses and I came up with a tune which just seemed to fit.

RJC