The lyrics to the traditional sea shanty "What Shall We Do with a Drunken
Sailor?" typically start with the repeated question: What shall we do with a
drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
Early in the morning? The refrain that follows is: Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning. The verses suggest various humorous or rough remedies
for dealing with the drunken sailor, such as:
- Put him in the longboat till he's sober.
- Shave his belly with a rusty razor.
- Stick him in a barrel with a hosepipe on him.
- Tie him to the taffrail when she's yardarm under.
- Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter.
These lines are repeated with the refrain after each verse. The song is known for its call-and-response style and has many variations in the lyrics depending on the version or performer
. Here is a representative excerpt of the lyrics:
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
What shall we do with a drunken sailor,
Early in the morning?
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning.
Put him in the longboat till he's sober,
Put him in the longboat till he's sober,
Put him in the longboat till he's sober,
Early in the morning.
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning.
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Early in the morning.
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning.
This song traditionally was sung by sailors to coordinate work on ships and has become a popular folk tune worldwide
