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O, once I was a waiter man,
And lived at home at ease;
And now I am a mariner,
And plough the angry seas.
I thought I'd like seafaring life,
So bid my love adieu;
And shipp'd as cook and steward boy,
On board the Kangaroo.
My love she was no foolish girl,
Her age it was two score;
My love was not a spinster,
She'd been married twice before.
And they could not say it was her wealth,
That stole my heart away;
For she was a laundry starcher,
At three-and-six a day.
Oh think of me! Oh think of me!
She mournfully did say;
When you are in a foreign land,
Three thousand miles away.
And take this lucky farthing,
'Twill make you bear in mind;
The loving, faithful, trusting heart,
You leave in tears behind.
Cheer up! Cheer up! my own true love,
Don't weep so bitterly;
But she sobbed and sighed and choked,
And cried and couldn't say goodbye.
I won't be gone so very long,
Maybe a month or two;
And when I do come back again,
Of course I'll marry you.
Our vessel it was homeward bound,
From many a foreign shore;
And many a foreign present,
Unto my love I bore.
There were tortoises from Teneriffe,
And toys from Timbuctoo;
A Chinese rat and a Bengal cat,
And a Bombay cockatoo.
Paid off, I sought her dwelling,
In the suburbs of the town;
An ancient dame upon a line,
Was hanging out a gown.
Where is my love? She's married, sir,
About six months ago;
To a man who drives a hardware van,
For Johnny Fox and Company
Farewell to Dixon's Soap Suds,
From the famous brand called Crown;
To Reckitt's Blue, well known to you,
And Crean's Scouring Brown.
I'll seek some far and distant clime,
I can no longer stay;
For my heart is now so shattered,
I must live on China tay.
From the British Musical Biography, pp.94-95: Clifton, Henry Robert, better known as Harry Clifton, author and composer of comic songs, born at Hoddesden, Hereford, England in 1831, died, Hanunersmith, London, 1872. Well-known in his day as author and composer of music-hall lyrics of the "motto" variety, among which were Paddle Your Own Canoe; Pulling Hard Against The Stream; Shelling Green Peas; Work, Boys, Work, and many others. He also wrote Polly Perkins Of Paddington Green, and other songs of a mock-sentimental type, such as the Agreeable Young Man; Convivial Man; Jeniima Brown; On Board Of The Kangaroo [1865], etc. For many years he resided in Glasgow, Scotland, as a music-hall singer.
Note: There were several ships named Kangaroo, including a schooner from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and another from St. John's, NL.
