ONCE ABOARD THE LUGGER


(Leslie Sarony)


As recorded by: 
Leslie Sarony,  Acc. By
Studio Band Dir. Jay Wilbur
Recorded January 1932 



[Side A:]

Sammy was a sailor and he'd just come home from sea.
He saw a girl named Sally who was standing on the quay.
He shouted, "Come aboard, miss. We'll be sailing with the tide."
She said, "Go to Halifax!" then poor old Sammy cried:

Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
The rain may come and the son won't shine,
But once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine.

“We'll splice the main jib boom," he cried. "You can't give me the slip.
I'll shiver all me timbers but I'll get you on the ship."
She said, "You go and hoist your slacks and hoist yourself as well".
He said, "I'm not an oyster," then he hoisted up a yell:

"Oh, once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
On the dotted line she'll refuse to sign,
But once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

He chased her in the Sailor's Rest and bought her lots of gin.
He chased her by the waterfront and there they both fell in.
He knew she couldn't swim and so he grabbed her by the hair.
He said, "You'll pardon me, but sailors really do not care“.

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
I'm a real old salt and she don't like brine,
But once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

She shouted out, "Unhand me, sir!" and ran across a field.
He chased along behind her and said, "Maiden, you must yield."
She ran across the village green and both fell down a well.
He grabbed her by the after deck and then began to yell:

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
She's a fiery catch; she can scratch and whine,
But once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

She got away from Sammy and she bolted up the road.
Sammy couldn't run so fast because he's pigeon-toed.
He swore that he would find her in or else he'd find her out.
He caused an awful traffic jam when he began to shout:

"Oh, once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
Though she won't cling like a clinging vine,
Oh, once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine.
[Side B:]

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
The rain may come and the sun won't shine,
But once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

He ran up to a farmer, who had corn stuck in his hair,
And said, "Across the field is that my filly over there?"
The farmer said, "I dunno, sir, but that's a poor old cow,"
But Sammy said, "I'll call her lots of farmyard names, and how!

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
Though I'm fond of cows, I must draw the line.
Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

He asked a postman if he'd seen a female hard as nails.
The postman said, "It takes me all my time to watch the mails."
Said Sammy, "If you find her, you can send her C.O.D.
I'll give her C.O.D. for she's been C.O.D.ing me!

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
I can register her for one and nine.
Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine.

He stopped the local fire brigade and said, "I've lost my flame."
The captain said, "If she's put out, the firemen aren't to blame."
Said Sammy, "No, she's not put out. She's vanished just like smoke,
But when I put my hose "Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
For a fortnight she won't sit down to dine.
Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

He went into a baker's and he murmured very low,
"I've lost my bit of pastry and I haven't any dough."
The baker said, "Some tarts are in the oven burning hot,"
But Sammy said, "Mine's hot enough to scorch the blinking lot.

"Oh, once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
A slice from a knife-cut cake is fine.
Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine."

He called in at Police Court just to see if she'd been pinched.
A copper said, "You run away, or else you may get lynched."
They shoved him in a cell where he began to rave and shout,
But Sammy sang this song when Sally came to bail him out:
on her, she'll find it's not a joke.

"Once aboard the lugger and the girl is mine,
The girl is mine, the girl is mine.
We're good friends now and she's paid my fine.
Got her on the lugger and the girl is mine."




(Transcribed from John Wright’s 78 RPM 
Record Collection by Bill Huntley - October 2013)