Hold fast, me merry lads
For the night is nearing the end
And no matter the storm, we’ll pull her to shore
We’re ramblin’ home again

She’s a wretched pile of timber
And she’s creakin’ from evenin’ to morn
But she’s home to a crew of the best wee few
To ever sail under the horn

Poor Reilly’s up mainmast
And wee Johnny’s hanging the sails
And the lad with the oars is passed out in the stores
As we’re rattlin’ threw the gales

Well hold fast, me merry lads
For the night is nearing the end
And no matter the storm, we’ll pull her to shore
’til we’re ramblin’ home again

Hold fast, until the last
As the waves are thunderin’ in
And we’ll show’em our mettle and drink like the devil
And bring’er on out again

Now we’re good and lost and lonesome
And a maelstrom’s at our tail
Half the crew is freezin’
And a lad’s gone over the rail

Poor Reilly’s head is ringin’
And the port’s all over the floor
And Johnny is hangin’ on tight to a canon
Now where is the bleedin’ shore?

Hold fast, me merry lads
For the night is nearing the end
And no matter the storm, we’ll pull her to shore
We’re ramblin’ home again

Hold fast, until the last
As the waves are thunderin’ in
And we’ll show’em our mettle and drink like the devil
And bring’er on out again

Now the bow is bleedin’ banjaxed
And half the sails are torn
The stores are full of water
And two of the rafts are gone

Now someone get me the potín
And grab the bleedin’ oars
We’ll row this bleedin’ tub on home
We’re almost at the shore

Well hold fast, me merry lads
For the night is nearing the end
And no matter the storm, we’ll pull her to shore
’til we’re ramblin’ home again

Hold fast, until the last
As the waves are thunderin’ in
And we’ll show’em our mettle and drink like the devil
And bring’er on out again