The group has been performing locally since 1995, and signed a record deal with Universal Music in March 2010. Whilst essentially an a cappella group, their studio recordings and live performances now often include traditional simple instrumentation.
Sailor Ain’t A Sailor
The Fisherman’s Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sailor′s life was very hard, the food was always bad;
But now I've joined the navy, I′m on board a man-o-war,
And now I find a sailor ain't a sailor any more!
Don't haul on the rope, don′t climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
The ′killick' of our mess, he says we′ve had it soft,
It wasn't like this in his day, when he was up aloft;
We like our bunks and sleeping bags, but what′s a hammock for?
Swinging from the deckhead, or lying on the floor?
Don't haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
A sailor ain′t a sailor, ain′t a sailor any more!
They gave us an engine that first went up and down,
Then with more technology the engine went around;
We're good with steam and diesel, but what′s a mainyard for?
A stoker ain't a stoker with a shovel any more!
Don′t haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
A sailor ain′t a sailor, ain't a sailor any more!
They gave us an Aldis Lamp, we can do it right,
They gave us a radio, we signal day and night;
We know our codes and ciphers, but what's a ′sema′ for?
A 'bunting-tosser′ doesn't toss the bunting any more!
Don′t haul on the rope, don't climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
A sailor ain′t a sailor, ain't a sailor any more!
Two cans of beer a day, that's your bleeding lot!
But now we gets an extra one because they stopped the tot;
So, we′ll put on our civvy-clothes and find a pub ashore,
A sailor′s still a sailor, just like he was before!
Don't haul on the rope, don′t climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
A sailor ain't a sailor, ain′t a sailor any more!
Don't haul on the rope, don′t climb up the mast,
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor any more!
The Fisherman's Friends’ “Sailor Ain’t A Sailor” is a fun and lighthearted song that provides commentary on the changes that have occurred in naval life over time. The song is told from the perspective of a young sailor who was warned about the difficulties of naval life by his father but is now experiencing it firsthand. The song highlights the changes in naval technology and the comforts that are now available to sailors, such as bunks and sleeping bags instead of hammocks. However, the song also suggests that modern sailors have lost some of the skills that were once crucial to survival in the harsh elements of the sea.
Beyond the commentary on naval life, the song is also a celebration of the camaraderie and traditions of the navy. The chorus of the song encourages sailors to enjoy their time on shore and to make the most of their limited time off. Despite the changes to naval life, the song suggests that sailors are still sailors at heart, and they can find common ground in the shared experiences of naval life.
Overall, “Sailor Ain’t A Sailor” is a cheerful and catchy song that provides a glimpse into the changing world of naval life. However, it also celebrates the timeless traditions and camaraderie that make naval life unique.
Line by Line Meaning
My father often told me, when I was just a lad,
My father used to tell me when I was young
A sailor’s life was very hard, the food was always bad;
Being a sailor was difficult and the food wasn't good
But now I’ve joined the navy, I’m on board a man-o-war,
Now that I’ve joined the navy, I’m on a warship
And now I find a sailor ain’t a sailor any more!
But being a modern sailor is different now!
Don’t haul on the rope, don’t climb up the mast,
Don't do the things that traditional sailors did
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
If you see another ship, it could be dangerous
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
Get ready to go onshore in your normal clothes
A sailor ain’t a sailor, ain’t a sailor any more!
Being a modern sailor is not the same as being a traditional sailor
The ‘killick’ of our mess, he says we’ve had it soft,
The leader of our group thinks we have it easy
It wasn’t like this in his day, when he was up aloft;
Things were different when he was a sailor
We like our bunks and sleeping bags, but what’s a hammock for?
We prefer modern sleeping arrangements and don't understand traditional ones
Swinging from the deckhead, or lying on the floor?
Should we hang from the ceiling or lie on the ground?
They gave us an engine that first went up and down,
We were given an engine that moved in a simple way
Then with more technology the engine went around;
The engine became more complex over time
We’re good with steam and diesel, but what’s a mainyard for?
We are skilled with modern technologies, but don't understand traditional ship parts
A stoker ain’t a stoker with a shovel any more!
The job of a stoker has changed with modern technology
They gave us an Aldis Lamp, we can do it right,
We were given a device to communicate using light signals
They gave us a radio, we signal day and night;
We have modern communication equipment
We know our codes and ciphers, but what’s a ‘sema’ for?
We understand modern communication codes, but don't know a traditional signal
A ‘bunting-tosser’ doesn’t toss the bunting any more!
The role of a person who raises signal flags has changed
Two cans of beer a day, that’s your bleeding lot!
We are only allowed two cans of beer per day
But now we get an extra one because they stopped the tot;
But we get an extra beer since the daily ration of rum has been stopped
So we’ll put on our civvy-clothes and find a pub ashore,
So we will change out of our uniforms and go to a bar on land
A sailor’s still a sailor, just like he was before!
But even with these changes, we are still sailors
Don’t haul on the rope, don’t climb up the mast,
Don't do the things that traditional sailors did
If you see a sailing-ship, it might be your last;
If you see another ship, it could be dangerous
Get your civvies ready for another run ashore,
Get ready to go onshore in your normal clothes
A sailor ain’t a sailor, ain’t a sailor any more!
Being a modern sailor is not the same as being a traditional sailor
Writer(s): Tom Lewis
Contributed by Skyler M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.