It's just a pretty female, as you may understand
Her mind being bent for rambling into a foreign land
She dressed herself in sailor's clothes, or so it does appear
And she signed with a captain, to serve him for a year
The captain's wife, she being on board, she seemed in great joy
To think the captain had engaged such a handsome cabin boy
And now and then she slipped him a kiss, and she would have liked to toy
But twas the captain found out the secret of the handsome cabin boy
Her cheeks they were like roses and her hair all in a curl
The sailors often smiled and said, he looks just like a girl
But eating of the captain's biscuit, her colour did destroy
And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, the handsome cabin boy
Twas down the Bay of Biscay our gallant ship did plough
One night amongst the sailors, a helluva flurry and row
It tumbled the men from out their hammocks, their sleep it did destroy
Terrible cursin' and a-groanin' of the handsome cabin boy
"Oh doctor dear, oh doctor," the cabin boy did cry
"My time has come, I am undone and I must surely die"
The doctor come a-running and smiling at the fun
For to think a sailor lad should have a daughter or a son
The sailors when they heard the news, they all did stand and stare
The child belonged to none of them, they solemnly did swear
The captain's wife she says to him, "My dear I wish you joy
For it's either you or I betrayed the handsome cabin boy"
Now sailors take your tot o' rum and drink success to trade
And likewise to the cabin boy that was neither man nor maid
Here's hoping the wars don't rise again, our sailors to destroy
And here's hoping for a jolly lot more, like the handsome cabin boy
