Deep down in his trench,
The private dreamed,
Of sailing on the sea,
Riding the waves! A wind at his face!

But when his feet had left the shore,
that face would turn quite pale!
even in seas as flat as you please,
he would wind up at the rail!

But even though his love of the sea,
Was never meant to be!
As he sits in his station
You can hear that poor lad sing!

"Yo Ho Ho! It's the Trader Life for Me!
A soggy old trench,
A stone for a bench,
Is not my cup of tea!"

"Yo Ho Ho! Sailing wide and free!"
If only his belly agreed.

A soldier's life is no life,
For the son of a trader's son!
Marching to here! Marching to there!

But when his company sailed to war,
His ship had not left the bay!
The boy became ill, ever so ill,
Even the seagulls turned away!

But even though his love of the sea,
Was never meant to be!
As he sits in his trench,
You can hear the poor lad sing!

"Yo Ho Ho! It's the Trader Life for Me!