(Chorus:)
For that's the way with ev'ry sailor:
He will knock you in the perch,
then he'll leave you in the lurch
From admiral to simple whaler
He cannot resist the bliss of being kissed
He will upset you, then forget you
He loves to give the girls a treat
And that's the way with ev'ry sailor:
They're all free men,
from the seaman to the adm'ral of the fleet.
A sailor's love is strong,
but doesn't last for long
How can a man be faithful
|: when sailing to Hongkong :|
He travels fast and far
from here to Zanzibar
And thousand girls are sighing:
|: We know what sailors are :|
They're girls from East and West,
tattooed upon his chest
It helps him to remember
which one he loves the best.
Chorus
You girls who live on land,
be sure you understand:
A sailor only loves when
|: that love is contraband :|
A wife in ev'ry port
is his idea of sport
That makes his life a gay one
|: because he knows it's short :|
And so when he appears,
you can be sure, my dears,
he'll show you paradise,
but you're bound to end in tears.
Chorus