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Now, 'twas twenty-five or thirty years since Jack first saw the light,
He came into this world of woe one dark and stormy night;
He was born on board his father's ship as she was lying to,
'Bout twenty-five of thirty miles southeast of Baccalieu.
Jack was every inch a sailor,
Five and twenty years a whaler;
Jack was every inch a sailor,
He was born upon the bright blue sea.
When Jack grew up to be a man he went to Labrador,
He fished in Indian Harbour where his father fished before;
On his returning in the fog he met a heavy gale,
And Jack was swept into the sea and swallowed by a whale.
Jack was every inch a sailor,
Five and twenty years a whaler;
Jack was every inch a sailor,
He was born upon the bright blue sea.
The whale went straight for Baffin Bay, 'bout ninety knots an hour,
And every time he'd blow a spray he'd send it in a shower,
Oh, now, says Jack unto himself, I'll see what he's about,
He got the whale all by the tail and turned him inside out.
Jack was every inch a sailor,
Five and twenty years a whaler;
Jack was every inch a sailor,
He was born upon the bright blue sea.
Jack was every inch a sailor,
Five and twenty years a whaler;
Jack was every inch a sailor,
He was born upon the bright blue sea.
See more Anchors Aweigh songs.
Published in Gerald S. Doyle's Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers (Second edition, p.13, 1940; Third edition, p.33, 1955). Also published on p.4 of Songs Of Newfoundland, a complimentary booklet of lyrics to twenty-one songs distributed by the Bennett Brewing Co. Ltd., of St. John's, NL, with the cooperation of the Gerald S. Doyle Song Book from which the words were obtained.
Edith Fowke writes in the Encyclopedia Of Music In Canada that this song seems to have been adapted from a New York music-hall song Every Inch A Sailor. The U.S. folklorist Phillips Barry noted that it is a localized version of the words (but not the tune) of 'the original burlesque of Pinafore, as sung by Miss Venie Clancy and printed in White's Complete Music Album, Boston, 1884,' and that ballad singer 'Frank Crumit made a gramophone record of it which was popular' (1928, Victor 21668). It was published by Greenleaf and Mansfield in Ballads And Sea Songs of Newfoundland (Cambridge, MA 1933) and recorded on Folk Songs Of Newfoundland (Folkways FW-6931). Richard Johnston has written a choral arrangement (Waterloo 1959).
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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
Intro: [A] [A7] [D]
Now, 'twas twenty-five or thirty years since Jack first saw the [A] light,
He came into this world of woe one dark and stormy [D] night;
He was born on board his father's ship as she was lying [A] to,
'Bout twenty-five or thirty miles south [A7] east of Baca- [D] lieu.
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
Five and twenty years a [D] whaler;
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
He was [A7] born upon the bright blue [D] sea.
When Jack grew up to be a man he went to Labra- [A] dor,
He fished in Indian Harbour where his father fished be- [D] fore;
On his returning in the fog he met a heavy [A] gale,
And Jack was swept into the sea and [A7] swallowed by a [D] whale.
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
Five and twenty years a [D] whaler;
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
He was [A7] born upon the bright blue [D] sea.
The whale went straight for Baffln Bay 'bout ninety knots an [A] hour,
And every time he'd blow a spray he'd send it in a [D] shower;
Oh, now, says Jack unto himself, I'll see what he's [A] about,
He got the whale all by the tail and [A7] turned him inside [D] out.
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
Five and twenty years a [D] whaler;
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
He was [A7] born upon the bright blue [D] sea.
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
Five and twenty years a [D] whaler;
Jack was every inch a [A] sailor,
He was [A7] born upon the bright blue [D] sea.
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~
