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Song Information:

So, I found these old lyrics I'd written for a sea chanty and thought, what the heck. The song is about a young Roman boy who wants to go to sea, back in the days of the Roman Empire. I sort of made up the tune as I went along, and had so much fun doing it, I decided to keep that first take.

Song Lyrics:

A lad looked out to sea one day
And said, "That life's for me!
I'll fish the shores, the shoals, the bay
As Poseidon's protg.
I'll not be home again, my friends
I'll not be settling down
I'll see the world, and where it ends
I'll live with great renown."

The foolish lad said, "Good-bye, Rome!"
Then walked the Appian Way
He told all ears the sea was home
And he'd been on holiday
At last he saw Brindisium,
The port to Greece and more
From what he'd read at athenaeum
'Twas a place of sailing lore

Sing lo, sing lo, to the sailor proud
Sing hi, sing hi, to the deadly gales
Sing lo, sing lo, to the empty shroud
Sing out for the fool who sails!

He found a ship both tall and proud
And boldly spoke his piece
"Captain, sir, may I be allowed
To sail with you to Greece?"
The Captain shook his golden locks
And pointed down the pier
"It would be quite unorthodox
For a lub to serve on here."

From boat to boat did he clamber
Disappointment at each try
'Til a ship without much glamour
Finally caught his eye
To a mangy man with one peg leg
The lad made his demand
"Dear sir, I fear that I must beg
Please get me off the land."

[Chorus]

So aboard the rotting trawler
Called "Princess of the Sea"
The lad was a net hauler
And happy as can be
But four days out, disaster struck
A squall came up too fast
The valiant crew was out of luck
The Princess lost her mast

She floundered on an angry wave
Then capsized in a blink
The sea became the Princess's grave
The crew was in the drink
Yet still the lad would not give in
He shouted for his god
"Poseidon, please, it's me, your kin
The lad who'd left the sod."

[Chorus]

When one by one the sailors drowned
The lad was now alone
Wishing he'd not left the ground
And life that he had known
'Twas no one there to see him slip
Beneath the stormy sea
Had he been on a different ship
A sailor he would be

So take this lesson to your heart
All lads who want to sail
Stay at home, don't e'er depart
For here's the telling tale:
'Twas in Poseidon's belly
They found his mangled corpse.
His blood had turned to jelly
His bones, a shark's first course

[Chorus]