OVER in England nobody cares,
W'y should they care for we ?
Up at the Admiralty nobody dares.
Wot's the good of the sea ?
 
W'en the sun's a-sinkin' slowly over 'ome,
An' there aint a breath o' wind to stir the sea,
I gits my concertina all alone,
An' I wonders wot in 'ell's the good o' me
I wonders, does they know the work we do,
I wonders, does they care 'oo draws our pay,
'Cos, Lord! it makes you wonder, with 'er nose a-runnin' under,
An' the gale a-comin' threshin' through the Bay !
 
Chorus: In the Boats ! Bloomin' Boats,
'Ow they lift an' drive an' rattle with the dawn a-breakin' grey,
Feel 'em shake an' 'owl an' roar,
Till it's " Blast you, 94 ! "
Till it's " Curse you for a devil " runnin' twenty in the Bay !
 
We rattles out in 'arf a gale o' wind,
An' 'fore you knows we're thirty mile at sea.
Ho ! you'll 'ave to keep your bunkers clever trimmed
W'en you comes to 'ave a run along o' we!
W'en we're dodgin' out to leeward in the dark,
A-waitin' 'arf a chanst to let 'er go,
You'd best not come too far, or we'll drop you where you are,
An' you'll do your whack of fightin' down below!
 
The porpoises can tell you w'ere we goed,
The dolphins knows the places w'ere we've been,
An' the little birds we left along the road
Can tell you little bits o' what we've seen.
With the engine-rooms a-shakin' like the leaves,
An' the funnels layin' over to the roar,
It's " Clamp and safety-pin," an' it's " Hup an' launch 'er in! "
An' it's " Now's your time or never, 94 ! "
 
Chorus : Ho, the Boats! Bloomin' Boats,
With 'er little decks a-jumpin' an' the seas a-runnin' green,
An' it's " Ease 'er down to slow,"
An' it's "'Old on all you know,"
Chokin' down an' blindin' through it for the honour of the Queen!