The Last Shanty (A Sailor Ain't A Sailor)

This song was written by British singer and writer of nautical songs Tom Lewis and released on his 1987 album Surfacing!. It has since become very popular among folk musicians and been covered by numerous artists. The Longest Johns' version is based on the Fisherman's Friends arrangement.
==Factoids==
Civvies: Civilian clotheshttps://www.lexico.com/en/definition/civvy
Killick: Leading Seaman. It comes from a word for a type of anchor; the nickname is derived from the fact that the Leading Seaman's rank badge was once a fouled anchor.https://www.readyayeready.com/jackspeak/termview.php?id=223
Mainyard: a spar (wooden bar) to which a mainsail is attached. This line is referring to the fact that sailing ships have been replaced by steam- and diesel-powered ones.
Aldiss lamp: a lamp used to send visual signals, often using Morse code; though still sometimes used as backup, these have been largely supplanted by radio communication.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_lamp
Bunting-tosser: "bunting" now refers to any small decorative flags strung together, but originally referred specifically to naval signal flags; the "bunting-tosser" was the sailor responsible for hoisting them, but now that flags are no longer a primary form of communication, it refers to a naval signaller more generally.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunting_tosser
==Lyrics==
Based on the version performed by TLJ on their livestreams.
My father often told me when I was just a lad
A sailor's life was very hard, the food was always bad
But now I've joined the navy aboard a man-o-war
And now I find a sailor ain't a sailor any more
{Chorus}
Don't haul on the ropes, don't climb up the mast
If you see a sailing ship it might be your last
Get your civvies ready for another round ashore
A sailor ain't a sailor, ain't a sailor any more
The killick of our mess he says we've got it soft
It wasn't like this in his day when he was up aloft
We like our bunks and sleeping bags, but what's a hammock for?
Swinging from the deckhead, or lying on the floor?
{Chorus}
They gave us an engine that first went up and down
With some new technology the engine went around
We're good with steam and diesel, but what's a mainyard for?
A stoker ain't a stoker with a shovel anymore
{Chorus}
They gave us an Aldiss lamp so we could do it right
They gave us a radio to signal day and night
We know our codes and ciphers but what's a semaphore?
A bunting-tosser doesn't toss the bunting anymore
{Chorus}
Well, two pints of beer a day and that's your bleeding lot
They gave us another one because we swabbed the top
So get on your civvy clothes, we'll find a pub ashore
A sailor's still a sailor just like he was before
{Chorus 2x}
==Recordings==
====Gig Videos====
*The Barrel, Thornbury (29 Jul 2012)
====Full Band Streams====
*The Longest Johns and Friends, April. w/Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith (30 Apr 2019)
*TLJ & Friends! | Natalie Holmes (27 Nov 2019)
*Last Stream Before Album Launch! (27 May 2020)
*Amazing Technicolor Stream-coat!! (7 Jul 2021)
*Blue Stream of Death! (29 Jun 2022)
*Streamworks (18 Jan 2023)
*Do Androids Stream of Electric Sheep (3 Aug 2023)
====Gaming Streams====
*Sea of Sings LIVE (31 Mar 2021)
Category:Songs
Category:Shared Leads