Farewell To Grog

Farewell To Grog

Come, messmates, pass the bottle 'round,
Our time is short, remember,
For our grog must stop and our spirits drop
On the first day of September.

For tonight we'll merry, merry be, (3)
Tomorrow we'll be sober.

Farewell, old rye, 'tis a sad, sad word,
But, alas, it must be spoken.
The ruby cup must be given up
And the demijohn be broken.

(Refrain)

Jack's happy days will soon be gone,
To return again, oh, never!
They've raised his pay five cents a day
But stopped his grog forever.

(Refrain)

Yet memory oft will backward turn
And dwell with fondness partial
On the days when gin was not a sin
Nor cocktails brought court martial.

(Refrain)

All hands to splice the mainbrace call
But splice it now in sorrow.
The spirit-room key will be laid away
Forever, on tomorrow.

(Refrain)