"Sailor Song" lyrics - IRVING BERLIN

[1st verse:]
A pair of sailor boys are we
We sail across the angry sea
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!
To prove we're sailor boys all right
We smoke a hornpipe every night
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!
We really hate the ocean 'cause it's all around the place
We only use it when we have to wash the captain's face
Of that we shouldn't really speak
He only washes once a week
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!

[Refrain:]
While we go sailing, sailing over the ocean blue
We're sailors thro' and thro'
The best you ever knew

If you doubt the story we're telling you
Any chorus girl can tell you we're sailors

As we go sailing, sailing
What do you think we do?
We flirt with ev'ry mermaid on Fifth Avenue

Our fathers lost a fortune down in Wall Street
So they both insisted we become a couple of sailors, too

[2nd verse:]
It makes no difference where we are
We always like to strike a bar
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!
We stand in line to quench our thirst
The second mate is always first
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!
The steward has an anchor tattooed near his vocal chord
So when we want to stop the ship we throw him overboard
We tie him to an iron chain
So we can pull him up again
Ya Ho! Ya Ho!