Pressgang

As i walked down on a London street,
a pressgang there I chanced for to meet,
They asked me if I join the fleet,
on board of a man 0' war, boys.

Pray, brother shipmates, tell me true,
what sort of usage they give you,
That I may know before I go
on board of a man 0' war, boys.

But when I went, to my surprise,
All that they told me was shocking lies.
There was a row and a bloody old row
On board of tbe man 0' war, boys.

First thing they did, they took me in hand,
They flogged me with a tarry strand;
They flogged me till I could not stand
On board of a man 0' war, boys.

They hung me up by my two thumbs
And they cut me till the blood did run;
And that was the usage they gave me
On board of a man 0' war, boys.