By Garland Davis

The Shipbreaker’s working up on the deck

Same deck my shipmates and I walked

Our young men’s dreams turned to dust

Watered with tears in among ships and rust

Old ships and rust

A whole way of life gone to old ships snd rust

Stretch of black oil that marred her side

Shade of a gun mount for a brief rest

Comes to an end with the Bos’n call

A long time since we had time on our hands

The man found where a thirsty sailor hid his booze

Can’t think of his name now don’t reckon I will

With no one the wiser what’s passed them on by

Well Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie

There goes the port bridge wing

The chair where the Captain would nap

He mumbled while ship;s routine went about him

I’m glad he can’t see or hear what’s happening today

They rendered no honors as Charlie Noble went ashorel

And quarterdeck where thousands whiled away the hours

Where the Bos’n told stories of Barcelona and the Gut

And sugar sweet girls at the end of the day

Old ships and rust

A whole way of life gone to old ships snd rust

Progress oh progress move on if you must

But save me that small patch of deck and rust