[Ralph, spoken]
Can I survive this overbearing
Or live a life of mad despairing,
My proffered love despised, rejected?
No, no, it's not to be expected!
(Calling off.) Messmates, ahoy!
Come here! Come here!

Enter Sailors, Hebe, and Relatives, and Buttercup.
[All]
Aye, aye, my boy,
What cheer, what cheer?
Now tell us, pray,
Without delay,
What does she say —
What cheer, what cheer?

[Ralph, to Hebe]
The maiden treats my suit with scorn,
Rejects my humble gift, my lady;
She says I am ignobly born,
And cuts my hopes adrift, my lady.

[All]
Oh, cruel one!
Oh, cruel one!
[Dick, spoken]
She spurns your suit? Oho! Oho!
I told you so, I told you so.

[Sailors and Relatives]
Shall we/they submit? Are we/they but slaves?
Love comes alike to high and low —
Britannia's sailors rule the waves,
And shall they stoop to insult? No! no!

[Dick, spoken]
You must submit, you are but slaves;
A lady she! Oho! Oho!
You lowly toilers of the waves,
She spurns you all – I told you so!

[Sailors and Relatives]
Shall we/they submit?
Are we/they but slaves?

[All]
Shall we/they submit?
(You must submit)
Are we/they but slaves?
(You are but slaves)
Love comes alike to high and low —
(A lady she! Oho! Oho!)
Britannia's sailors rule the waves,
And shall they stoop to insult? No! no!
(She spurns you all
She spurns you all – I told you so!)
[Ralph]
My friends, my leave of life I'm taking,
For oh, my heart, my heart is breaking;
When I am gone, oh, prithee tell
The maid that, as I died, I loved her well!

[All]
Of life, alas! his leave he's taking,
For ah! his faithful heart is breaking;
When he is gone we'll surely tell
The maid that, as he died, he loved her well.


[Ralph]
Be warned, my messmates all
Who love in rank above you —
For Josephine I fall!

Ralph puts pistol to his head. All the sailors stop their ears.
Enter Josephine
[Josephine]
Ah! stay your hand — I love you!

[All]
Ah! stay your hand — she loves you!
[Ralph]
Loves me?

[Josephine]
Loves you!

[All]
Yes! Yes! Ah, yes! she loves you!

[Josephine, Hebe and Ralph]
Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen,
For now the sky is all serene;
The god of day — the orb of love —
Has hung his ensign high above,
The sky is all ablaze.

[Ralph]
With wooing words and loving song,

[Josephine, Hebe and Ralph]
We'll chase the lagging hours along,
And if we/I find the maiden coy,
We'll/I'll murmur forth decorous joy
In dreamy roundelays!

[Dick]
He thinks he's won his Josephine,
But though the sky is now serene,
A frowning thunderbolt above
May end their ill-assorted love
Which now is all ablaze.
Our captain, ere the day is gone,
Will be extremely down upon
The wicked men who art employ
To make his Josephine less coy
In many various ways.

[Josephine, Hebe, Ralph, and Dick]
Oh, joy, oh rapture, unforeseen,
For now the sky is all serene,
(Our captain soon, unless I'm wrong)
The god of day — the orb of love —
(Will be extremely down upon)
Has hung his ensign high above,
(The wicked men who art employ)
The sky is all ablaze.
(Will be extremely down upon
The wicked men, will be extremely down upon
the men In many various ways,)
is all ablaze
(In many various ways,)
is all ablaze, The sky is
(Our captain soon will be extremely down upon)
all, is all ablaze.
(The wicked men in many various ways.)

[Josephine]
This very night,

[Hebe]
With bated breath

[Ralph]
And muffled oar —

[Josephine]
Without a light,

[Hebe]
As still as death,

[Ralph]
We'll steal ashore.

[Josephine]
A clergyman

[Ralph]
Shall make us one

[Boatswain]
At half-past ten,

[Josephine]
And then we can

[Ralph]
Return, for none

[Boatswain]
Can part them then!

[Josephine]
This very night
(This very night)

[Hebe]
With bated breath
(With bated breath)

[Ralph]
And muffled oar —
(And muffled oar —)

[Josephine]
Without a light,
(Without a light,)

[Hebe]
As still as death,
(As still as death,)

[Ralph]
We'll steal ashore.
(They'll steal ashore.)

[Josephine]
A clergyman
(A clergyman)

[Ralph]
Shall make us one
(Shall make them one)

[Boatswain]
At half-past ten,
(At half past ten,)

[Josephine]
And then we can
(And then they can)

[Ralph]
Return, for none
(Return for none)

[Boatswain]
Can part them then!
(Can part them then!)

[Josephine & Sopranos, and Others]
This very night, With bated breath
(This very night,)
And muffled oar, Without a light,
(With bated breath)
As still as death, We'll steal ashore
(And muffled oar,)
A clergyman Shall make us/them one
(Without a light,)
Josephine & Sopranos, and Others
(As still as death,)
Return, for none Can part us/them then!
(We'll steal ashore.)
A clergyman Shall make us/them one
(A clergyman)
At half-past ten And then we can
(Shall make them one)
Return, for none Can part us/them then!
(At half-past ten.)

[All]
This very night,
With bated breath
And muffled oar
Without a light,
As still as death,
We'll steal ashore.
A clergyman
Shall make us/them one
At half-past ten,
And then we can
Return, for none, none,
None can part us/them then!

[Dick]
Forbear, nor carry out the scheme you've planned;
She is a lady — you a foremast hand!
Remember, she's your gallant captain's daughter,
And you the meanest slave that crawls the water!

[All]
Back, vermin, back,
Nor mock us!
Back, vermin, back,
You shock us!

Let's give three cheers for the sailor's bride
Who casts all thought of rank aside —
Who gives up home and fortune too
For the honest love of a sailor true!

Tra la, la la la la la, la la,
la la, la la la la la, la la,
la la, la la la la la, la la la la la la la la, la la,
la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la,
la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la,

Let's give three cheers for the sailor's bride
Who casts all thought of rank aside —
Who gives up home and fortune too
For the honest love of a sailor true!

[Josephine, Hebe, and Relatives]
For a British tar is a soaring soul
As free as a mountain bird!
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word!
His eyes should flash with an in-born fire,
His brow with scorn be wrung,
He never should bow down to a domineering frown,
Or the tang of a tyrant tongue

[Sailors]
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.

[All]
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,

His eyes should flash,
(His attitude)
His breast protrude,
(His attitude,)
His eyes should flash,
(His customary attitude,)
His eyes should flash,
(His attitude,)
His breast protrude,
(His attitude,)
His eyes should flash, yes,
(His eyes, his eyes, yes,)
His eyes should flash,
(His eyes should flash,)

His foot should stamp and his throat,
(His foot should stamp and his throat,)
his throat should growl,
(his throat should growl,)
His hair should twirl and his face,
(His hair should twirl and )
his face should scowl,
( his face should scowl,)

[All]
His eyes should flash,
His breast protrude,
And this should be his customary attitude.