> Tim Hart and Friends > Songs > What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?

What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?

[ Roud 322 ; G/D 1:4 ; Ballad Index Doe048 ; trad.]

Songs of American Sailormen

The Cadgwith Fishermen’s Chorus from Cornwall sang What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor? in a recording made by Peter Kennedy on 18 November 1956 (BBC 23654). It was included in 1994 on the Saydisc anthology Sea Songs and Shanties.

Tim Hart and the Livingston Hooray Ensemble sang What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor? in 1983 on Tim Hart and Friends’ album Drunken Sailor and Other Kids Songs. This track was later included on their compilation CD Favourite Nursery Rhymes and Other Children’s Songs.

Stan Hugill and Stormalong John sang The Drunken Sailor at “Fêtes du chant de marin” in Paimpol in 1991. This was released in 1992 on his CD of live festival recordings, Chants des Marins Anglais.

The Demon Barbers learned The Drunken Sailor from Dick Miles and recorded it in 2002 for their CD Uncut.

David Thomas sang What Do We Do With a Drunken Sailor? on the 2006 anthology of pirate ballads, sea songs and chanteys, Rogue’s Gallery.

Fisherman’s Friends sang Drunken Sailor on the 2014 Cambridge Folk Festival anthology Celebrating 50 Years.

The Salts sang Drunken Sailor on their 2018 album Brave.

The Spinners sang The Drunken Sailor live in Liverpool’s Music Room on 19-20 May 2018. A recording of this concert was released in the same year on their CD Legends.

Lyrics

Tim Hart sings What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?

What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
Early in the morning?

Chorus (after each verse):
Hooray, and up she rises,
Hooray, and up she rises,
Hooray, and up she rises
Early in the morning.

Put him in the longboat till he’s sober,
Put him in the longboat till he’s sober,
Put him in the longboat till he’s sober,
Early in the morning

Put him in the scupper with the hose-pipe on him,
Put him in the scupper with the hose-pipe on him,
Put him in the scupper with the hose-pipe on him,
Early in the morning

Take him and shake him and try and wake him,
Take him and shake him and try and wake him,
Take him and shake him and try and wake him,
Early in the morning

What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
Early in the morning?