M.V. HARDSHIP        [Kiwi]        Tune:- Thrashing Machine

Heard from an A.B. on board the M.V. King James, 1972.

As I was a'walking down by K.G.V.,
I saw an old tramp ship tied up alongside.
The M.V. Hardship, that was her name,
She was bound out to"Kiwi" and back home again.

Chorus:-
        Pound away! Pound away!
        From London to Kiwi is a hell of a way.

Sailed down the channel on a cold frosty day.
We rounded old Ushant, then south 'cross the bay.
The 2nd Steward's "fruit" and the cook he is too;
They sit on their arses with damn all to do.

Chorus

There's nothing for dinner, there's nothing for tea,
And that 2nd Steward keeps winking at me.
He and the cook are a bloody disgrace;
Just see the look on the galley-boy's face!

Chorus

The Mate is a bastard, the Second's a drunk
The Third reads dirty books in his bunk;
As for the Old Man, no-one can say;
No bugger's seen him since we sailed away.]

Chorus

When we got to "Kiwi" we all went ashore,
Off to "Ma Gleeson's" to get us a whore;
But when we got there, the picking's were poor,
'Cause the P.S.N.C. lads had got there before.

Chorus

The Bo'sun cried "Smoko!", the lads cried "Righto!"
And straight down the gangway, shoreside we did go..
The Bo'sun he swore that we'd all get the sack -
But we didn't give a damn, 'cause we're not going back.

Chorus

We landed in London at the end of the trip;
We got our pay-off and ashore we all slipped;
Vowed in "Charlie Brown's", with a pint to our lips,
That we'd seen the last of the M.V. Hardship.
        
Chorus


Notes (RJC) This is the version of "M.V. Hardship" that I usually sing, "Kiwi" is of course New Zealand, K.G.V (Kay Gee Five) is the King George the Fifth Dock (now the site of London City Airport).

Ross