by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863)
There were three sailors of Bristol city
Language: English
There were three sailors of Bristol city Who took a boat and went to sea. But first with beef and captain's biscuits And pickled pork they loaded she. There was gorging Jack and guzzling Jimmy, And the youngest he was little Billee. Now when they got as far as the Equator They'd nothing left but one split pea. Says gorging Jack to guzzling Jimmy, "I am extremely hungaree." To gorging Jack says guzzling Jimmy, "We've nothing left, us must eat we." Says gorging Jack to guzzling Jimmy, "With one another we shouldn't agree! There's little Bill, he's young and tender, We're old and tough, so let's eat he. "Oh! Billy, we're going to kill and eat you, So undo the button of your chemie." When Bill received this information He used his pocket handkerchie. "First let me say my catechism Which my poor mammy taught to me." "Make haste, make haste," says guzzling Jimmy, While Jack pulled his snickersnee. So Billy went up to the main-top gallant mast, And down he fell on bended knee. He scarce had come to the twelfth commandment when up he jumps. "There's land I see: "Jerusalem and Madagascar, And North and South Amerikee; There's the British flag a-riding at anchor, With Admiral Napier, K.C.B." So when they got aboard of the admiral's, He hanged flat Jack and flogged Jimmee; But as fro little Bill he make him The Captain of a Seventy-three.
About the headline (FAQ)
Published in various other editions as "Little Billee"Text Authorship:
- by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863), "The three sailors", appears in Sand and Canvas, first published 1849 [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 Rutland Boughton (1878 - 1960), "Little Billee", published 1914 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], London : Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Bowie (1925? - 1970), "Little Billee", published 1965 [ three-part men's chorus and piano ], from Harmonious Young Men, London: Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Michael Diack (1869 - 1946), "Little Billee", <<1946 [ medium voice and piano ], London: Patersons [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul N. Edmonds (b. 1873), "Little Billee", published 1935 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], London : Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Constance Mills Herreshoff , "Little Billee", published 1928 [ voice and piano ], NY : J. Fischer [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael John Hurd (1928 - 2006), "Little Billee", published 1966, from opera Little Billy [sung text not yet checked]
- by Geoffrey O'Hara (1882 - 1967), "Ballad of Little Billee", published 1932 [ voice and piano ], London : Chappell & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Gerald) Graham Peel (1878 - 1937), "Ballad of Little Billee", published 1908 [ voice and piano ], London : Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harold Hinchcliffe Sykes , "Little Billee", published 1970 [ unison women's or children's voices and piano ], London: Curwen [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Wood (1866 - 1926), "Little Billee" [ unison chorus and piano ], unfinished [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-04-22
Line count: 36
Word count: 238