Spanish Ladies

Einer der ältesten in der Royal Navy gesungenen Songs ist "Spanish Ladies", auch bekannt unter dem Namen "Farewell and Adieu". Der älteste sichere Eintrag über das Lied ist aus dem Jahr 1796, aber bereits 1624 wurde eine Ballade mit dem gleichen Titel erwähnt. Auch von diesem Shanty gibt es zahlreiche Versionen und auch eine für die U.S. Navy angepasste Version.

Fare well and a–dieu to you fair Spanish ladies
Fare well and a-dieu to you ladies of Spain
For we’ve received orders to sail to old England
And hope very shortly to see you a-gain

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll rave across the salt seas
Till we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From here to home is so many leagues

We hove our ship to with the wind at the sou’west boys
We hove our ship to for to take soundings clear
In fifty-five fathoms with a fine sandy bottom
We filled maintops’le up channel did steer

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll rave across the salt seas
Till we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From here to home is so many leagues


The first land we made was a point called the deadman
Next Ramshead off Plymouth, Start, Portland and Wight
We sailed then by Beachie by Fairlee and Dover
Then bore straight away for South Foreland Light

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll rave across the salt seas
Till we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From here to home is so many leagues


Now the signal was made for the Grand Fleet to anchor
We clewed up our tops’ls stuck out tacks and sheets
We stood by our stoppers, we brailed in our spankers
And anchored ahead of the noblest of fleets

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll rave across the salt seas
Till we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From here to home is so many leagues


Let every man here drink up his full bumper
Let every man here drink up his full bowl
And let us be jolly and drown melancholy
Drink a health to each jovial and true hearted soul

We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors
We’ll rant and we’ll rave across the salt seas
Till we strike soundings in the channel of old England
From here to home is so many leagues