What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor?
The Windjammers Lyrics
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What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Put him in the longboat until he's sober
Put him in the longboat until he's sober
Put him in the longboat until he's sober
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him
Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him
Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Way hay and up she rises
Early in the morning
"What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?" is a traditional sea shanty, sung by sailors and fishermen when dealing with the difficulty of working at sea. The song is meant to be a humorous take on how to deal with a drunken sailor, and is somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek guide on how to remove the sailor's drunkenness. The verse "put him in the longboat until he's sober" is most likely a reference to a sailor being left out in the water until they become sober, as being in the cold water can help someone become more alert. The line "stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him" refers to washing the sailor, as "scrubbers" would have been the parts of the ship used for washing, and a hosepipe would have been used to douse the sailor with water.
The chorus of "way hay and up she rises" is believed to come from the expression "a way, a way", which was used to encourage work on the boat, and "up she rises" is meant to refer to the rising of the sails or anchor. Overall, the song is a humorous look at the difficulties of working at sea, and provides a lighthearted way of dealing with a drunken sailor.
Line by Line Meaning
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What actions should we take with a sailor who is under the influence?
Way hay and up she rises
A chant often used for crew members to sing and work together in unison
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Humorous and exaggerated suggestion of using an old, unpleasant tool to teach the sailor a lesson
Put him in the longboat until he's sober
Making the sailor spend time away from the crew to recover and become sober
Stick him in the scrubbers with a hosepipe on him
Another tongue-in-cheek punishment, suggesting to hose down the sailor while in a difficult-to-reach place on the ship
Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter
A final, joking suggestion that is not meant to be taken seriously as a punishment
That's what we do with a drunken sailor
Concluding the song with a repetition of the initial question and response
Way hay and up she rises
Continuing the chant until the song ends
Contributed by Natalie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.