Robin Adair

Now I've not made too much of my life been a waster through and through
But the only things I've ever done have been the things I wanted to do
I've wasted my chances as well as my pay, of these things I've had my share
But I was one of the Clansman's' crew when we raced the Robin Adair
There was Kelly, Clancy, Liverpool Bill, a kid called Sweeny Todd
A Glasgow lad who could steer like mad who's name I've clean forgot
A big buck nigger and a boss eyed Swede and a kid from County Clare
We made up the starboard watch when we raced the Robin Adair
Now Kelly lost his life off a tops'l yard on the Polestar years ago
Clancy died with a knife in his side in a joint down Calio
Bill got married and settled ashore the rest are God knows where
But that was all so long ago when we raced the Robin Adair
We were yardarm to yardarm at Sydney Head and then it started to blow
The Clansman soon was reeling them off at fifteen knots or so.
The old man grinned as he faced the wind, it was the weather for her
He cried 'My lads we've seen the last of that wonderful Robin Adair
But early one morn when the sun arose and the day had just begun
We sighted a ship, hull down astern, coming along like fun
The old man swept the glass to his eye and you should have heard him swear
For out of the south with a bone in her mouth there came the Robin Adair
Well we started to pile the canvas on and it had to stay there too
'Twas a fair old breeze in the morning time but by God that night it blew
I've seen some strange sites in my time but I tell you it made me swear
Breaking out sail in a Biscay gale just to race the Robin Adair
Well we reached the London River at last by twelve on the Wapping clock
I counted the chimes as we tied her up to the buoy in the London Dock
Them wooden chips have gone to chips these forty years or more
They sold her away to a dago bunch and the blighters ran he ashore
So somewhere south of the Lindes Naze and North of the straight La Mere
With the fishes cruising around her bones there lies the Robin Adair.

Midi Sequence Credit - Harri Crenband