[Verse 1]
All the sailors they are all home from leave
And everybody's waiting for them to try to deceive
The storekeepers have drawn their lace curtains bare
And all the women and the wee young girls all waiting there

[Chorus]
Oh, but how the ladies pay
Oh, if they only knew how the ladies pay
Yeah now, how the ladies pay
Oh, when the men they've gone away

[Verse 2]
Nobody is standing guard upon the door
And nobody is feeding any of the poor
The poor sick soldier lies in bed beside his girl
Thinking of another place on the other side of this world
Ah

[Chorus]
How the ladies pay
Oh oh, oh, how the ladies pay
When the men they've gone away
Oh, I wish I knew how the ladies pay

[Outro]
Day and night, night and day
How the ladies pay
The day and night, night and day
How the ladies pay
Day and night, night and day
Day and night
Day and night and night and day, ladies pay now
Night and day, day and night
How the ladies pay
Day and night, night and day
How the ladies pay
Day and night now
Night and day and now
How they pay now
Oh, how they pay now

Ladies pay, ladies pay
Ah, ladies pay their way now
Ladies pay, ah, ladies pay, ah, ladies pay
Night and day, night and day, night and day
Whoa, how the ladies pay
Oh, night and day, night and day, night and day
Whoa, how the ladies pay