Drunken Sailor – English Lyrics

• By: The Irish Rovers

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sailor /ˈseɪlər/ B1	noun - a person who works or navigates ships at sea
drunken /ˈdrʌŋkən/ B1	adjective - affected by alcohol to the point of impairment
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - to move upward or to higher position
rise /raɪz/ A2	noun - an upward movement or increase
early /ˈɜːrli/ A2	adjective - happening or done before the expected time
mornin’ /ˈmɔːrnɪn/ A1	noun - short for morning
shave /ʃeɪv/ A2	verb - to cut hair from the face or body with a razor noun - the act of removing hair with a razor
rusty /ˈrʌsti/ B2	adjective - covered with rust, corroded
long /lɒŋ, lɔːŋ/ A1	adjective - measuring a great distance from end to end
sober /ˈsoʊbər/ B2	adjective - not intoxicated by alcohol
scupper /ˈskʌpər/ C1	noun - a ship's drain or opening to the sea verb - to deliberately damage or sink a ship
captain /ˈkæptɪn/ B2	noun - the leader of a ship, crew, or sports team
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness from sunset to sunrise
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where a person or animal lives

Key Grammar Structures

• Way hay and up she rises

  ➔ Imperative/Exclamatory sentence with unusual word order (Emphasis)

  ➔ The typical word order would be "She rises up". Inverting the order adds a sense of urgency and emphasis, commonly found in sea shanties. This form uses 'up she rises' for a more forceful exclamation.

• What will we do with a drunken sailor?

  ➔ Future simple tense (will) in an interrogative sentence

  ➔ This line uses "will" to inquire about a future action or plan regarding the drunken sailor. It expresses uncertainty and a need for a solution. "What "will" we do...?" questions a future course of action.

• Shave his belly with a rusty razor

  ➔ Imperative sentence (command/suggestion). Use of the preposition "with" to indicate the instrument.

  ➔ This line is a suggestion, presented as a command. "Shave" is the verb in the imperative mood. The preposition "with" clarifies what tool to use for shaving.

• Put him in a long boat 'til he's sober

  ➔ Imperative sentence. Use of the shortened form "'til" for "until".

  ➔ Another imperative, suggesting an action. "'Til" is a contraction of "until", indicating a duration or time limit. "Put" is the command, and "'til he's sober" expresses the reason/duration of the action.

• Put him in the bed with the captain's daughter

  ➔ Imperative sentence. Possessive case ('s) used to denote ownership or association.

  ➔ "Put" is the imperative verb. The phrase "captain's daughter" uses the possessive 's to show the relationship between the captain and the daughter.