The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns
A traditional song with a written record dating to 1769. This is an exceedingly well known folk song, performed by nearly every folk singer in the past century in one form or another.
This song describes the passage of ship through the English Channel, the last stretch before coming home after a lo...
[Verse 1]
Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies
Farewell and adieu to you, to you ladies of Spain;
For we've received orders for to sail for old England
But we hope very soon we shall see you again
{Chorus}
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England:
From Ushant to Scilly it's thirty-five leagues
[Verse 2]
We hove our ship to, with the wind at sou'-west, boys
We hove our ship to, our soundings to see;
We rounded and sounded, got fourty five fathoms
Then we squared our main yard and up channel steered we
{Chorus}
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England:
From Ushant to Scilly it's thirty-five leagues
[Verse 3]
The next land we made t'was called the Deadman
Next Rame Head off Plymoth, off Portland the Wight
Then we sailed by Beachy, by Fairlee and Dungeness
'til we came abreast of the South Foreland light
{Chorus}
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England:
From Ushant to Scilly it's thirty-five leagues
[Verse 4]
Then the signal was made for the Grand Fleet to anchor
All in the Downs that night for to lie;
Then it's stand by your stoppers, steer clear your shank-painters
Haul up your clew garnets, let tacks and sheets fly!
{Chorus}
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England:
From Ushant to Scilly it's thirty-five leagues
[Verse 5]
So let every man toss off a full bumper
And let every man drink up a full glass;
We'll drink and be merry and drown melancholy
Singing here's a good health to each true-hearted lass!
{Chorus}
We'll rant and we'll roar like true British sailors
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England:
From Ushant to Scilly it's thirty-five leagues
Spanish Ladies was written by Traditional.
The Longest Johns released Spanish Ladies on Tue Jun 19 2018.