A ship was built in Glasgow, and oh, she looked a daisy -
(Just the way that some ships do!)
An' the only thing against her was she allus steered so crazy,
(An' it's true, my Johnnie Bowline, true!)

They sent 'er out in ballast to Oregon for lumber,
An' before she dropped 'er pilot she all but lost 'er number.

They sold 'er into Norway because she steered so funny,
An' she nearly went to glory before they drawed the money.

They sold 'er out o' Norway - they sold 'er into Chile,
And Chile got a bargain because she sailed so silly.

They chartered 'er to Germans with a bunch o' greasers forrard:
Old shellbacks wouldn't touch 'er because she steered so 'orrid.

She set a course for Bremen with contraband inside 'er,
An' she might 'ave got there sometime if a cruiser 'adn't spied 'er.

She nearly drowned the boarders because she cut such capers,
But they found she was German through inspectin' of her papers.

So they put a crew aboard 'er, which was both right an' lawful,
An' the prize crew 'ad a picnic because she steered so awful.

But they brought 'er into Kirkwall, an' then they said 'Lord lumme,
If I ever see an 'ooker as steered so kind o' rummy!'

But she fetched 'er price at auction, for oh, she looks a daisy
(Just the way that some ships do!)
An' the chap as tops the biddin' won't know she steers so crazy,
(But it's true, my Johnnie Bowline, true!)