by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)
Hell's pavement
Language: English
"When I'm discharged at Liverpool 'n' draws my bit o' pay, I won't come to sea no more; I'll court a pretty little lass 'n' have a weddin' day, 'N' settle somewhere down shore; I'll never fare to sea again a-temptin' Davy Jones, A-hearkening to the cruel sharks a-hungerin' for my bones; I'll run a blushin' dairy-farm or go a-crackin' stones, Or buy 'n' keep a little liquor-store." So he said. They towed her in to Liverpool, we made the hooker fast, And the copper-bound [official]1 paid the crew, And Billy drew his money, but the money didn't last, For he painted the alongshore blue, It was rum for Poll, and rum for Nan, and gin for Jolly Jack; He shipped a week later in the clothes upon his back; He had to pinch a little straw, he had to beg a sack To sleep on, when his watch was through, So he did.
View original text (without footnotes)
First published in Speaker, September 1902
1 Keel: "officials"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Mike Pearson
First published in Speaker, September 1902
1 Keel: "officials"
Authorship:
- by John Masefield (1878 - 1967), "Hell's pavement", appears in Salt Water Ballads, first published 1902 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by J. Frederick Keel (1871 - 1954), "Hell's pavement" [ voice and piano ], from Four Salt-Water Ballads, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Paul Walford Corder.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-30
Line count: 18
Word count: 154