The Drunken Sailor
Babe Lyrics


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What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? early in the morning?

Early up he rises!
Early up he rises!
Early up he rises!
Early in the morning

Eighty-five days on the wild, rough sea
When he returned he heard that she loves another one
That's what he told me last night in a tavern in the harbour

What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? early in the morning?

Early up he rises!
Early up he rises!
Early up he rises!
Early in the morning

Mon capitain, ambre c'est moi
Forget your sorrow till tomorrow
Mon capitain, ambre c'est moi
Forget your sorrow dans mes bras

Mon capitain, ambre c'est moi
Forget your sorrow till tomorrow
Mon capitain, ambre c'est moi
Forget your sorrow dans mes bras

Last night you had a real ball
Flying so high and now low you fall
No, you were not happy at all
But you forget her at least till the morning

What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
What shall we do with the drunken sailor? early in the morning?

Early up he rises!
Early up he rises!




Early up he rises!
Early in the morning

Overall Meaning

The song "The Drunken Sailor" is a traditional sea shanty that tells the story of a man who has spent eighty-five days at sea and returns to find out that his love has left him for another man. He drowns his sorrows in alcohol and becomes a drunken sailor. The song poses the question, "What shall we do with the drunken sailor?" and repeats the chorus twice before continuing with another verse. In the second verse, the singer consoles the sailor by telling him to forget about his sorrows and to enjoy the present moment. The ending of the song repeats the chorus several more times and encourages the sailor to rise early and start his day with renewed vigor.


The lyrics of "The Drunken Sailor" are poignant and capture the despair and heartbreak that the sailor is feeling. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that the sailor's problems are not easily solved, and that he will likely continue to struggle with his emotions. However, the suggestion to forget about the past and to focus on the present moment is a hopeful one and implies that the sailor can still find happiness despite his circumstances.


Line by Line Meaning

What shall we do with the drunken sailor? (What shall we do?)
Asking for suggestions on what to do with the sailor who is intoxicated and out of control


Early up he rises!
The sailor wakes up early every morning despite being hungover and drunk the night before


Eighty-five days on the wild, rough sea
Describing the sailor's long and difficult journey at sea


When he returned he heard that she loves another one
On returning from the sea, the sailor discovered that his lover has moved on and fallen for someone else


That's what he told me last night in a tavern in the harbour
The sailor confided in someone at the tavern about his heartbreak and disappointment


Mon capitain, ambre c'est moi
A woman tries to comfort the sailor by calling him 'my captain' and promising to help him forget his sorrows


Forget your sorrow till tomorrow
The woman encourages the sailor to temporarily forget his troubles and worries about his lost love, and to focus on enjoying the present moment


Last night you had a real ball
Recalling the sailor's night of drinking and partying, and contrasting it with his current state of sadness


Flying so high and now low you fall
The sailor had a good time but now he's feeling the effects of his drinking, and is feeling low and depressed


No, you were not happy at all
Though the sailor tried to put on a happy face while drinking, he was not truly happy and was dealing with inner turmoil and sadness


But you forget her at least till the morning
Despite the sailor's heartbreak, his drunkenness allows him to forget his lost love temporarily, at least until the next morning when reality sets in again


Early in the morning
The sailor wakes up early every morning, regardless of his state of mind or level of intoxication




Contributed by Leo M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Thiago Henrique

Im brazilian fan from Babe 🇧🇷🇳🇱

bruno campão

não se acha quase nada sobre o grupo,
descobri pelo lost media que acharam,a i know da gemma van eck,que me trouxe ao babe
gostaria de saber mais sobre o grupo,e por que não deu certo,ou durou pouco,sendo que parecem que as musica envelheceram muito bem
(((tenho 22 anos kkk))))

5th generation

最高!

Cath Carli

Oh wat leuk om Bert en Jan van Champagne hier te zien als the drunken sailors.

Betty Boop Piet

Yesssss bert van jan van champagne RIP BERT

Danno Five-O

De dames van Babe waren minder enthousiast destijds.

Cath Carli

@Danno Five-O Echt? Hoe weet je dat?

Attila Molnár

2:17-nél fogyott el a Polimer szalag a Tesla B101-en 1983-ban, mikor felvettem a kívánságműsorból. Azóta nem hallottam végig ezt a számot.

apc067

Hajajaj, nekem hány olyan számom volt! 😃 Még ma is, amikor a teljes verziókat már évtizedek óta hallgatom, tudat alatt várom, hogy a régi helyen hirtelen megszakadjon a szám. (Asszem, ezt hívják úgy, hogy PTSD. 😆)

SkekMal

😍

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