HE PLAYED HIS UKULELE AS THE SHIP WENT DOWN
(Sometimes known as "The Wreck Of The Nancy Lee")
(Arthur Le Clerq)


Leslie Sarony (with Jack Hylton & His Orch.) - 1932
Lesley Holmes - 1932

Also recorded by:
Tom Lewis; Clinton Ford; The Masqueraders.







As recorded by LESLIE SARONY with JACK HYLTON'S ORCH.,
30th January 1932:


PART 1

Yo ho, my lads, yo ho
I'll tell you the tale of a sailor
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
As the Captain of a whaler
Of his gallant deed you all should know
(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

I'll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
The bravest man was Captain Brown
For he played his ukulele as the ship went down

All the crew were in despair
Some rushed here and some rushed there
But the Captain sat in the Captain's chair
And he played his Ukulele as the ship went down

The owner wirelessed to the crew
"Do the best that you can do
We're only insured for half-a-crown
So, I'll be out of pocket if the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "Holy gee!
It's all up for the Nancy Lee
You're all right, but what about me
I shall wet my ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

When they heard the news at the Admiralty
They wirelessed to the Nancy Lee
"We'd like to speak to Captain Brown
If he isn't very busy when the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "What's to do?"
The Admiralty said, "At half-past-two
We'll be listening in to you
When you play your ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The pets on board were all scared stiff
The cat meowed and the monkey sniffed
The old green parrot hung upside down
Saying, "Scratch-a-polly", as the ship went down

The crow's nest fell and it killed the crow
The starboard watch was two hours slow
But the Captain sung, "Voh-doh-dee-oh-doh"
As he played his ukulele as the ship went down


PART 2

He shouted, "Man the rafts!
With chains and rope you bind 'em"
The Bosun searched both fore and aft
But dashed if he could find them
At the mercy of that raging sea
The good ship Nancy Lee

The Bosun said to Stoker Jim
"You'll have to teach me how to swim"
The Stoker answered with a frown
"We can learn together as the ship goes down"

The Captain said to Fireman Mose
"Get straight into your fireman's clothes
And while you stand and play your hose
I'll play my Ukulele as the ship goes down"

When they reached the lifeboat, how they cursed
The Second Mate had got there first
The Cook said, "I'll be last to drown
'Cause I'm climbing up the rigging as the ship goes down

Soon it was a total wreck
The Captain stood on the burning deck
The flames leapt up all around his neck
And burnt his ukulele as the ship went down

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The Captain's wife was on the ship
And she was glad she'd made the trip
As she could swim, she might not drown
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down

They sprung a leak just after dark
And through the hole came a hungry shark
It bit the Skipper near the water mark
As he played his ukulele when the ship went down

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

The Mate had a saxophone
The Cook had a trombone
The Drummer had an old tin
And another had a violin
The Bosun had a banjo
The Stoker had a piccolo
"You can play what you like", said Captain Brown
"I shall play the ukulele as the ship goes down"

And that is the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
And Captain Brown who was in command
Now plays his ukulele with the Mermaid Band


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2012)


********************

As recorded by LESLEY HOLMES:

PART 1

Yo ho, my lads, yo ho
I'll tell you the tale of a sailor
Who sailed the Bay of Biscay-o
As the Captain of a whaler
Of his gallant deed you all should know
Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho

I'll tell the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
The bravest man was Captain Brown
For he played his Ukulele as the ship went down

All the crew were in despair
Some rushed here and the others rushed there
But the Captain sat in the Captain's chair
And he played his Ukulele as the ship went down

The owner wirelessed to the crew
"Do the best that you can do
She's only insured for half-a-crown
So I'll be out of pocket if the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "Holy gee!
It's all up with the Nancy Lee
You're all right, but what about me
I shall wet my ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Yo-ho, my lads, yo-ho)

When they heard the news at the Admiralty
They wirelessed to the Nancy Lee
"We'd like to speak to Captain Brown
If he isn't very busy when the ship goes down"

The Captain answered, "What's to do?"
The Admiralty said, "At half-past-two
We shall all be listening in to you
When you play your ukulele when the ship goes down"

The pets on board were all scared stiff
The cat meowed and the monkey sniffed
The old green parrot hung upside down
Saying, "Scratch a poor polly", as the ship went down

The crow's nest fell and it killed the crow
The starboard watch was two hours slow
But the Captain sung, "Voh-doh-dee-oh-doh"
And he played his ukulele as the ship went down

The Irishman said, "Begorrah, I'll fight
The very first man who comes in sight"
"You can't do that", said Captain Brown
"You'll have to box the compass as the ship goes down"

The Skipper issued from the store
A cake of soap to every ????
And said, "Now was yourselves ashore
While I play my ukulele as the ship goes down"

"Have faith in me", the Captain cried
To this remark the crew replied
"You can trust us, Captain Brown
To finish up the raft before the ship goes down"

The Skipper shouted, "No backchat!
I'll do my best and after that
D'you mind if I pass 'round the hat
As I play my ukulele when the ship goes down"

(Ha-ha-ha, hee-hee-hee)
(Listen to the man in the Moon, said he)

The Captain shouted fore and aft
"I'll have no slackers aboard this craft"
"So understand", said Captain Brown
"I want ev'rybody present when the ship goes down"

The Cook's gone mad and the Bosun's lame
The rudder has gone and the deck's aflame
My G-string's flat, but all the same
I shall play my ukulele when the ship goes down


PART 2

He shouted, "Man the rafts,
"With chains and rope you can bind 'em"
The Bosun searched both fore and aft
Bust dashed if he could find them

At the mercy of that raging sea
Was the good ship Nancy Lee

They struggled on against the storm
The cold, cold wind was far from warm
So all the crew and Captain Brown
Played ring-a-ring-a-rosies when the ship fell down

They shouted, "Women and children first"
The Engineer came up and cursed
But all of a sudden his boiler burst
As he played his ukulele as the ship went down

The Captain's wife was on the ship
And he was glad she'd made the trip
As she could swim, she might not drown
So he tied her to the anchor as the ship went down

They sprung a leak just after dark
And through the hole came a hungry shark
It bit the Skipper near the water mark
So he played his ukulele when the ship went down

(Singing polly-wolly-doodle all the day)
(Singing polly-wolly-doodle all the day)

He had sailed the sea, they say
For twenty-two years come Pancake Day
So it's no wonder Captain Brown
Wished he was in the Army when the ship went down

He played the part of a bold AB (sic)
He played the game on land and sea
But this was the very first time that he
Had played his ukulele as the ship went down

When they reached the lifeboat, how they cursed
The Second Mate had got there first
The Cook said, "Aye, I'll be the last to drown
'Cause I'm climbing up the rigging as the ship goes down

Soon it was a total wreck
The Captain stood on the burning deck
The flames leapt up all around his neck
And burnt his ukulele as the ship went down

The Mate said, "It's okay with me
The shipwreck suits me to a T
I owe ten bob to Captain Brown
And I'll never have to pay him if the ship goes down"

But then the pessimistic Cook said he
Was sure the Crew very soon would be
Playing a harp, said Brown, "Not me,
I shall play my ukulele as the ship goes down

The Mate had a ????phone
The Cook had a trombone
The Drummer had an old tin
Another had a violin
The Bosun had a banjo
The Stoker had a piccolo
"You can play what you like", said Captain Brown
"I shall play me ukulele as the ship goes down"

And this is the tale of the Nancy Lee
The ship that got shipwrecked at sea
And Captain Brown who was in command
Now plays his ukulele in the Mermaid Band






(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - November 2012)