by John Masefield (1878 - 1967)
Captain Stratton's Fancy See original
Language: English
Oh, some are fond of red wine and some are fond of white, And some are all for dancing by the pale moonlight: But rum alone’s the tipple, and the heart’s delight Of the old bold mate of Henry Morgan. ... Oh, some are for the lily and some are for the rose, But I am for the sugar cane that in Jamaica grows; For it’s that that makes the bonny drink to warm my copper nose, Says the old bold mate of Henry Morgan. ... Oh, some are sad and wretched folk that go in silken suits, And there’s a mort of wicked rogues that live in good reputes; So I’m for drinking honestly and dying in my boots, Like an old bold mate of Henry Morgan.
First published in Speaker, May 1903
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Mike Pearson
Composition:
- Set to music by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "Captain Stratton's Fancy", 1914, published 1920, first performed 1918, stanzas 1,3,7 [ voice and piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by John Masefield (1878 - 1967), "Captain Stratton's Fancy", appears in Ballads and Poems, first published 1910
See other settings of this text.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 295