It's of a pretty female as you may understand,
Her mind being bent for rambling into some foreign land.
She dressed herself in sailor's clothes or so it does appear,
And she hired with a captain to serve him for a year.
The captain's wife she being on board, she seemed in great joy
To think her husband had engaged such a handsome cabin boy.
And now and then she slipped him a kiss, and she would have liked to toy,
But it was the captain found out the secret of the handsome cabin boy.
Her cheeks they were like roses and her hair all in a curl,
The sailors often smiled and said, he looks just like a girl.
But eating all the captain's biscuit her colour did destroy
And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, the handsome cabin boy.
It was in the Bay of Biscay our gallant ship did plough.
One night among the sailors was a fearful flurryin' row.
They tumbled from their hammocks for their sleep it did destroy
And they swore about the groaning of the handsome cabin boy.
"Oh doctor dear, oh doctor," the cabin boy did cry,
"Me time has come, I am undone and I shall surely die."
The doctor come a-running and smiling at the fun,
To think a sailor lad should have a daughter or a son.
The sailors when they saw the joke, they all did stand and stare.
The child belong to none of them, they solemnly did swear.
And the captain's wife she says to him, "My dear I wish you joy,
For it's either you or me has betrayed the handsome cabin boy."
So each man took his tot of rum and he drunk success to trade,
And likewise to the cabin boy who was neither man nor maid.
It's hoping the wars don't rise again, our sailors to destroy,
And here's hoping for a jolly lot more like the handsome cabin boy.