As I cruised out one evening upon a night's career,
I spied a lofty clipper ship,
and to her I did steer.
I heisted out my signals,
which she so quickly knew.
And when she saw my bunting fly,
she immediately hove to.
She had a dark and a roving eye, and her head
hair hung down in ringlets.
She was a nice girl,
a proper girl,
but one of the roving kind.
Oh pardon me,
she says to me,
for being out so late.
But if my parents heard of this,
oh sad would be my fate.
My father is in politics,
a good and righteous man.
My mother is an acrobat.
I do the best I can.
She had a dark and a roving eye,
and her hair hung down in ringlets.
She was a nice girl,
a proper girl,
but one of the roving kind.
I took her for some fish and chips and treated her so fine.
And hardly did I realize she was the roving kind.
I kissed her lips,
I missed her lips,
and found to my surprise,
she was nothing but a pirate ship rigged up in a disguise.
She had a dark and a roving eye,
and her hair hung down in ringlets.
She was a nice girl,
a proper girl,
but one of the roving kind.
So come all you good sailor men who sail the wintry sea,
and come all you apprentice lads,
a warning take from me.
Beware of lofty clipper ships,
they'll be the ruin of you.
For it was there she made me walk the plank,
and pushed me under too.
She had a dark and a roving eye,
and her hair hung down in ringlets.
She was a nice girl,
a proper girl,
but one of the roving kind.