Sing Ho! for a brave and a valiant bark,
And a brisk and lively breeze,
A jovial crew and a Captain too,
to carry me over the seas,
To carry me over the seas, my boys,
To my true love so gay,
She has taken a trip on a gallant ship
Ten thousand miles away.
Refrain
So blow the winds, heigh-ho;
A roving I will go,
I'll stay no more on England's shore,
So let the music play!
I'll start by the morning train,
To cross the raging main,
For I'm on the move to my own true love,
Ten thousand miles away.
My true love, she is beautiful,
My true love she is young;
Her eyes are as blue as the violet's hue,
and silvery sounds her tongue
And silvery sounds her tongue, my boys,
But while I sing this lay,
She is doing the grand in a distant land,
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh! that was a dark and dismal day
When last she left the strand
She bade good-bye with a tearful eye,
And waved her lily hand -
And waved her lily hand, my boys,
As the big ship left the bay
"Adieu" says she, "remember me,
Ten thousand miles away."
Oh! if I could be but a bo' s'n bold,
Or only a bombadier,
I'd hire a boat and hurry afloat,
And straight to my true love steer
And straight to my true love steer, my boys,
Where the dancing dolphins play,
And the whales and the sharks are having their larks,
Ten thousand miles away.
Oh! the sun may shine through a London fog.
And the Thames run bright and clear,
The oceans' brine be turned to wine,
And I may forget my beer -
And I may forget my beer, my boys,
And the landlord's quarter-day;
But I'll never part from myy own sweetheart,
Ten thousand miles away!