George Formby Song-book: On The H.M.S. Cowheel-1943
with lyrics and chords

A Complete(ish),George Formby Song-book also with PDF version for download.

On The H.M.S. Cowheel-1943
  Regal Zonophone MR3710 Cliffe/Formby

On the H.M.S. Cowheel each time I go to sea
To the waves I wave my hand and the waves wave back to me.
All of my joints very soon they'll seize up
I've got to sleep with my blinking knees up.
My bed's shrunk, that's all bunk, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

My supper tripe was tough and stringy,
I'd been chewing up a rubber dinghy.
It's not grub, it's India rub on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

Oh a sailor's life and a sailor's wife, that's the life for me,
An able seaman free, as able as can be.

Now I'm a sea dog someone told me
If I'm a dog then a pup they've sold me.
They can't boast one lamp post, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

Off to a wreck full speed we're going
Half a dozen girls on a raft we're towing
Save their lives, we need wives, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

Into the dry dock when we've got 'em,
We'll get to work and scrape their boilers,
We won't shirk for dirty work, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

Oh a sailor's life and a sailor's wife, that's the life for me,
An able seaman free, aye, as able as can be.

When we're ashore at night at Dover
We give the ladies the quick once over
Hoist your slacks then make tracks, for the H.M.S. Cowheel.

I take the wheel and I box the compass,
My clever boxing causes a rumpus
Just one round then we're aground, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

When all the rest of the crew are resting
Up in the crow's nest I'm bird nesting
Eggs are few, but we might lay two, on the H.M.S. Cowheel.

Oh a sailor's life and a sailor's wife, that's the life for me,
An able seaman free, by gum, as able as can be.

Carrying a kit bag home I trundle,
Suddenly the wife sees my big bundle
She says "Gee, is that for me, from the H.M.S. Cowheel?"