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The Sailor's Grave 
The Sailor's Grave 
Our bark was far, far from the land When the bravest of our gallant band Went deadly pale, an' pined away Like the twilight5 of an autumn day. 
We watched him through long hours of pain Our hopes were great, our task in vain. His end was near, we felt sad qualms But he smiled and died in his shipmates' arms. 
He had no costly winding sheet We placed two round shot at his feet, And we sewed him up, he was canvas-bound Like a king he lay in his hammock sound. 
We proudly decked his broken chest With the "Blood'n'Guts (1)" across his breast The flag we gave as a mark o' the brave And he was ready for a sailor's grave. 
Our voices broke, our hearts were weak And wet was seen on the toughest cheek We lowered him down o'er the ship's dark side And he was received by the rollin' tide. 
With a splash and a plunge and our task was o'er And the billows rolled as they rolled before, And many a wild prayer hallowed the wave As he sank deep to a sailor's grave. 
(1) Sailor's name for the red ensign of Britain From Songs of the Sea, Hugill Note: Original composed in 1859 by Eliza Cook (words) and John
 C. Baker (music). According to Hugill, heavily folk-processed. RG