The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #67549   Message #4212570
Posted By: Lighter
30-Nov-24 - 10:45 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Aboard a Man o' War
Subject: RE: Origins: Aboard a Man o' War
This is a somewhat incoherent manuscript text of a verbose song known in' America by 1768. Some of the lines are similar to those in "Aboard a Man o' War":

https://omeka.library.appstate.edu/items/show/14855

The significant lines are:

As I walked along the street,
A captain I chanced to meet....
Be ruled by me, and if you think fit,
Git [sic] on board a man of war....

The very first day I went on board...
They tied my poor tender hands with those
Damnation hickory bands.
They shost [sic] me while I could not stand
On board a man of war....

And now I've set my foot on shore
There's never a damned (Blank) who
Shall ever entice me any more
On board of a man of war.