A British Tar - Act I

[Verse 1: Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter together]
A British tar is a soaring soul,
As free as a mountain bird,
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word.

[Chorus]
(Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter singing a round)
His nose should pant,
And his lip should curl,
His cheeks should flame,
And his brow should furl,
His bosom should heave,
And his heart should glow,
And his fist be ever ready for a knock-down blow.

(Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter together, much faster now)
His nose should pant,
And his lip should curl,
His cheeks should flame,
And his brow should furl,
His bosom should heave,
And his heart should glow,
And his fist be ever ready for a knock-down blow.

[Verse 2: Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter together]
His eyes should flash with an inborn fire,
His brow with scorn be wrung;
He never should bow down
to a domineering frown,
Or the tang of a tyrant tongue.

[Chorus]
(Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter singing a round)
His foot should stamp,
And his throat should growl,
His hair should twirl,
And his face should scowl;
His eyes should flash,
And his breast protrude,
And this should be his customary attitude.

(Ralph, Boatswain and Carpenter together, much faster now)
His foot should stamp,
And his throat should growl,
His hair should twirl,
And his face should scowl;
His eyes should flash,
And his breast protrude,
And this should be his customary attitude,

[Coda]
His attitude,
His attitude,
His attitude!