Pump Shanty
The Sheringham Shantymen Lyrics
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Pump them dry
Down to hell, and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home
The captain's daughter I suppose
Could be called an English Rose
The pox she gave to me a dose.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home
This rose well she did prick me sore
I never felt so bad before
Thanks to the girl i did adore
I thought I'd never pump no more.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
I called the doctor right away
To find out what he had to say
That's two pound ten get on your way
I'm sure this girl is in her pay.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
They say life has its ups and downs
That really now is quite profound
I'd like to push the capstan round
But its pump me boys before we drown.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
The ocean we all do adore
So come on boys let's pump some more
Don't worry if your stiff and sore
I'm sure we've pumped this bit before.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
Sometimes when I am in me bed
And thinking of me day ahead
I wish that I could wake up dead
But pumpin's all I get instead.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
Yes, how I wish that I could die
The swine who built this tub to find
I'd bring him back from where he fries
And pump him till the beggar's dry.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
If Noah used him for his ark
Now wouldn't that have been a lark
From rising sun till getting dark
The animals all hard at work.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
There's so much water down below
Just how it got there I don't know
The old man says let's roll and go
But I think we're bound for Davey Jones.
Pump me boys, pump her dry
Down to hell and up to the sky
Bend your back and break your bones
We're just a thousand miles from home.
The Sheringham Shantymen's song "Pump Shanty" is a traditional sailor's work song, which centers the activity of pumping water out of a boat or a ship. The song is comprised of several verses, each centering around the theme of pumping or the singer's romantic woes. The first verse is a call to arms, urging one to "pump boys, pump them dry," and is repeated through the song as a sort of refrain to keep the rhythm going. The second verse centers on the captain's daughter, who the singer contracted the pox from--this is possibly a reference to syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease common among sailors. The third verse picks up where the second left off with the singer's distaste for the disease and how he thought he would never pump again because of it. However, he was ultimately cured by a doctor who charged him two pounds, but the singer suspects that the captain's daughter was in the doctor's pocket. The subsequent verses then delve into a mixture of bleakness, humor, and bitterness regarding the activity of pumping water.
The song reflects the sailor's daily labor and is an example of a work song to help pass the time and provide a rhythm to their work. The song's melody is typical to shanties and was used as an accompaniment to certain actions, whether it's hauling lines, pulling up the anchor, or in this case, pumping out water. The chorus keeps the rhythm and would help the crew maintain the same speed while working, which made everything easier and led to a sense of camaraderie. It also reflects the sailors' mentality of looking for the silver lining in situations, as they make light of some unfortunate situations while singing.
Line by Line Meaning
Pump me boys!
Let's go, everyone start pumping!
Pump them dry
We need to pump out all the water from the boat
Down to hell, and up to the sky
We need to pump out all the water from the boat, no matter where it is in the boat
Bend your back and break your bones
We all need to work hard and put a lot of physical effort in to pump out the water
We're just a thousand miles from home
We are far from home and we need to get this boat in good condition before we can make it there.
The captain's daughter I suppose
There's a girl on board who is the captain's daughter or a young lady that has caught the attention of the crew.
Could be called an English Rose
The girl who has caught our attention is beautiful and has the qualities of an English rose flower.
What would you think when I propose
What would happen if I were to ask her to marry me?
The pox she gave to me a dose
Unfortunately, I contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her.
This rose well she did prick me sore
The girl has caused me physical pain and discomfort.
I never felt so bad before
This is the worst I have ever felt.
Thanks to the girl I did adore
I used to really love and adore her.
I thought I'd never pump no more
I was so discouraged that I didn't think I could pump anymore.
I called the doctor right away
I went to see a doctor as soon as I realized I was sick.
To find out what he had to say
I wanted to know what the doctor had to tell me about my condition.
That's two pound ten get on your way
The doctor charged me two pounds and ten shillings for his services.
I'm sure this girl is in her pay
I'm suspicious that the girl works for the doctor and brought the disease on board the ship.
They say life has its ups and downs
Life can be difficult at times.
That really now is quite profound
This statement is actually quite profound and true.
I'd like to push the capstan round
I wish we could just push a wheel and make the boat move, instead of having to pump out the water.
But it's pump me boys before we drown
Unfortunately, we need to pump to stay alive!
The ocean we all do adore
We are all sailors and love the ocean.
So come on boys let's pump some more
We need to keep pumping out the water.
Don't worry if you're stiff and sore
It's okay if we feel stiff and sore from all the pumping.
I'm sure we've pumped this bit before
We have probably already pumped out the same area of the boat several times.
Sometimes when I am in me bed
When I'm in bed at night.
And thinking of me day ahead
I'm thinking about what the next day will be like.
I wish that I could wake up dead
I wish that I didn't have to wake up to another day on this boat.
But pumpin's all I get instead
Unfortunately, pumping water out of the boat is all we can do.
Yes, how I wish that I could die
I really wish I wasn't on this boat anymore.
The swine who built this tub to find
Whoever built this boat is a terrible person.
I'd bring him back from where he fries
If it was possible, I would bring this person back from the dead and punish them.
And pump him till the beggar's dry
I would force this person to pump out water from the boat until they couldn't do it anymore.
If Noah used him for his ark
Even if Noah himself were to use this boat, it wouldn't be good enough for a flood.
Now wouldn't that have been a lark
That would have been a comical situation.
From rising sun till getting dark
From sunrise until sunset.
The animals all hard at work
All the animals would have to work hard to keep the boat from sinking.
There's so much water down below
There is a lot of water in the boat.
Just how it got there I don't know
I'm not entirely sure how it got in the boat.
The old man says let's roll and go
The captain wants us to continue on our journey.
But I think we're bound for Davey Jones
I think we're going to end up sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.