Songs We Like to Sing


Published 1912
Old Black Joe

     Fred E. WeatherlyStephen Adams


Of all the wives as e'er you know,
Yeo ho! lads! ho! Yeo ho! yeo ho!
There's none like nancy Lee I trow,
Yeo ho! yeo ho! yeo ho!
See there she stads an' waves her hand upon the quay,
An' ev'ry day when I'm away she'll watch for me,
An' whisper low, when tempests blow, for Jack at sea;
Yeo ho! lad! ho! yeo ho!

Chorus:
The sailor's wife, the sailor's star shall be,
Yeo ho! we go across the sea;
The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,
The sailor's wife his star shall be.

The harbor's past, the breezes blow,
Yeo ho! lads! ho! Yeo ho! yeo ho!
'Tis long e'er we come back I know,
Yeo ho! yeo ho! yeo ho!
But true an' bright from morn till night my home will be,
An' all so neat an' snug an' sweet for Jack at sea,
An' nancy's face to bless the place, an' welcome me;
Yeo ho! lads! ho! yeo ho!

chorus

The bos'n pipes the watch below;
Yeo ho! lads! ho! Yeo ho! yeo ho!
Then here's a health befoe we go,
Yeo ho! yeo ho! yeo ho!
A long, long life to my sweet wife and mates at sea,
An' keep my bones from Davy Jones where'er we be,
An' may you meet a mate as sweet as Nancy Lee;
Yeo ho! lads! ho! yeo ho!

chorus








© 1999, Lynn Waterman