With the wind old Mother Carey,
Yo ho oh!
Churns the sea to make her dairy:
Yo ho oh!
When you see a storm a-brewin’,
Yo ho oh!
That is Mother Carey’ s doin’:
Yo ho oh!
When you see Mother Carey’ s chickens,
Yo ho oh!
Then look out to catch the dickens!
Yo ho oh!
When you hear the icebergs rattle,
Yo ho oh!
Those are Mother Carey’ s cattle:
Yo ho oh!
When you see them split — a-halving,
Yo ho oh!
Then Mother Carey’ s cows are calving:
Yo ho oh!
When you see a flying fish,
Yo ho oh!
Lose no time but make your wish:
Yo ho oh!
Irish pennons when they’ re flying,
Yo ho oh!
Set old Mother Carey crying:
Yo ho oh!
When the sea-gulls dip for slush,
Yo ho oh!
Mother Carey stirs the mush:
Yo ho oh!
When one sea-gull follows you,
Yo ho oh!
Mother Carey soon makes it two:
Yo ho oh!
When the sea-gulls fly by two,
Yo ho oh!
Soon good luck will come to you:
Yo ho oh!
When the sea-gulls fly by threes,
Yo ho oh!
Soon you’ ll have a spanking breeze:
Yo ho oh!
If seven follow you into port,
Yo ho oh!
There the sailors’ ll have good sport:
Yo ho oh!
When a rope trails in the water,
Yo ho oh!
That is Mother Carey’ s garter:
Yo ho oh!
When the clouds are red as roses,
Yo ho oh!
Those are Mother Carey’ s posies:
Yo ho oh!
If you want to win your Mary,
Yo ho oh!
Throw out a biscuit to Mother Carey:
Yo ho oh!
And so they would have chantyd all night long,
But some one broke it with another song.