WATERING HOLES
Have you had a drink in Betty's Bar or an ale in Charlie Brown's?
And what about old Doris's place in steamy Kingston Town.
Delmonico's in Capetown sold Brandy snapps galore
To Union-Castle sailors who liked a run ashore.
Monty's down in Sydney was a seaman's Shangri-La
And Ma Gleason's place in Auckland the best sly groggin' bar.
The Dog House bar in Panama was famous 'round the world
For ice cold Cuba Libres and sweetly scented girls.
In Danny's Bar in Antwerp be careful where you grope
For things might not be what they seem, it might just be a bloke.
The Masons and the Steps were known to the boys from kay gee five,
And the Bootle Arms in Liverpool could really come alive.
There's a Lone star bar in every port down South America way,
And the Texas Bar in Santos is where sailors went to play.
Joe Beef's bar in Montreal and the Jungle up in Leith
Were places where you'd watch your lip if you needed all your teeth.
There's lots of ports I've never seen in my wanderin' sailor's life
And some I wish I'd never seen where I ended up in strife.
But if you're working on a tanker or some rusty, run-down tramp
You'll always find a watering hole where seamen swing the lamp.
David Partridge.
