Ship I Love, The

AKA A gallant ship was sinking
You take to the boat lads
I’ll stick to the ship
First Published 1893
Writer/composer Felix McGlennon Roud RN17057

Music Hall Performers Tom Costello
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Copper, Jim England : Sussex : 1936
Ferrill, Graham; USA 1963 (22 Jun)
McKim, Nels; Canada : British Columbia, 1964
Costello, Cecilia; England : Warwickshire : 1967
Rudd, Walter ‘Tuddy’; England : Norfolk : 1975
Nellie; England : Hampshire : 1975
Whiting, Fred ‘Pip’; England : Suffolk : 1977
Palmer. Freda; England : Oxfordshire 1978
Copper, Bob; England : East Sussex : 1992		 

A gallant ship was labouring
Labouring in the sea
The Captain stood amongst his crew
“Gather round” said he
“This ship is doomed and sinking
There on the lee is land
Then launch the boats and pull away
But here at my post I'll stand
Goodbye, my lads, goodbye”

I'll stick to the ship lads
You save your lives
I've no one to love me
You've children and wives
You take to the boats lads
Praying to heaven above
But I'll go down in the angry deep
With the ship I love

The crew stood hesitating
Their hearts were staunch and true
With tear-dimmed eyes spoke up the mate
“Sir, we will die with you”
The Captain cried “What? Mutiny?
I am the Captain here
So launch the boats and pull away
And think of your children dear
Goodbye, my lads, goodbye”

A song written by Felix McGlennon whose work was equally popular in the Halls and in the drawing rooms of respectable folk of late Victorian Britain. It was performed in the halls by Tom Costello, who sang it first in 1893 and kept performing it until the 1930s. It seems to have been popular throughout the English-speaking world.

Sept. 23, 1893; The Era 

The song was remembered by several late 20th-century traditional singers in England, the USA and Canada.

Here is Tom Costello singing it himself in the 1920s :

Sources: