[Intro: boot stomps, three male voices] [“Baritone Singer”] SET UP FOR THE HOIST! [“Tenor Singer”] HALYARD CLEAR! [“Bass Singer”] GUY IS RUN! [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] POLE HER UP, BOYS, HERE WE COME! [Verse 1: gritty baritone, concertina enters] [“Baritone Singer”] We’re charging for the weather mark, the kite is in the bag, The boughman’s checking every line for something bent or snagged. The sheets and guys run clean outside, the halyard’s at the head, The bag is clipped, the corners checked… [“Bass Singer”] ...or we'll hoist the bag instead!! [“Baritone Singer”] The topping lift is ready and the downhaul standing by, The pole goes on the windward side… [“Tenor Singer”] NOW GET THE BUGGER HIGH! [Pre-Chorus: call and response] [“Baritone Singer”] Pole up! [“Tenor Singer”] TOPPING SET! [“Baritone Singer”] Downhaul? [“Bass Singer”] NOT TOO TIGHT YET! [“Baritone Singer”] Guy on winch? [“Tenor Singer”] LOADED RIGHT! [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] Pree-Feed THAT TACK AND HOLD HER TIGHT! [Verse 2: rhythm builds] [“Baritone Singer”] The guy comes back, the clew comes out, the tack runs to the pole, But leave the belly in the bag… [“Bass Singer”] DON’T LAUNCH THE BLOODY WHOLE! [“Baritone Singer”] The sheet is loaded leeward, and the halyard’s ready too, The trimmer calls his winch prepared… [“Tenor Singer”] THE PIT SAYS READY, TOO! [“Baritone Singer”] The bough calls ready forward, main is ready for the turn, The helm bears off around the mark… [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] AND NOW THAT KITE MUST BURN! [Chorus: huge three-part hauling harmony] [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] HOIST! HOIST! RUN HER HIGH! HAND OVER HAND AND TOUCH THE SKY! HALYARD FAST, DON’T LET HER FILL! KEEP HER GOING, HIGH! Bump it to the SKY!! [“Baritone Singer”] HALYARD HIGH? [“Bass Singer”] HIGH! [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] GUY COMES BACK AND SHEET COMES ON! FILL THAT KITE AND THEN WE’RE GONE! POLE HER BACK AND LET HER DRAW, THAT’S THE BLOODY SAIL WE CAME HERE FOR! [Verse 3: driving work-song rhythm] [“Baritone Singer”] The mast man’s jumping halyard while the pit takes every yard, The bough keeps feeding cleanly… [“Tenor Singer”] AND THE TRIMMER’S WATCHING HARD! [“Baritone Singer”] The head hits home, the bough calls MADE, the guy begins to grind, The sheet comes in, the shoulders fill… [“Bass Singer”] AND LEAVE THE JIB BEHIND! [“Baritone Singer”] The jib comes down, the pole comes back, the kite begins to breathe, The trimmer eases to the curl… [“Tenor Singer”] AND NOW WE LET HER FEED! [Bridge: a cappella call-and-response] [“Baritone Singer”] Who’s got halyard? [“Bass Singer”] ... PIT HAS THE TAIL! [“Baritone Singer”] Who’s bumping mast? [“Tenor Singer”] ...HAUL LIKE HELL! [“Baritone Singer”] Guy trimmer? [“Bass Singer”] ...BRING HER BACK! [“Baritone Singer”] Sheet trimmer? [“Tenor Singer”] ... I’VE GOT THE KITE! [“Baritone Singer”] boughman? [“bough Singer”] ... MADE!!! [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] THEN FILL THE BASTARD! FILL!!! [Final Chorus: maximum three-part harmony] [“Three-Part Harmony Singers”] HOIST! HIGH! FILL HER UP! GUY COMES BACK AND SHEET COMES ON! JIB COMES DOWN AND POLE GETS SQUARED, UPHAUL SET AND DOWNHAUL SNARED! POLE TO WIND AND CLEWS ALIGNED, EASE TO CURL AND MAKE HER FLY! HOIST! HIGH! FILL! HO! THAT’S THE WAY THE KITE MUST GO! [Outro: stomps, voices only] [“Baritone Singer”] Halyard? [“Bass Singer”] ... HIGH! [“Baritone Singer”] Guy? [“Tenor Singer”] ...Guy is ON! [“Baritone Singer”] Kite? [“Bass Singer”] ... Kite is FULL! [“Baritone Singer”] Jib? [“Tenor Singer”] ...Jib is DOWN! [“Baritone Singer”] Pole? [“Bass Singer”] ... SQUARED! [“Baritone Singer”] Trim? [“Tenor Singer”] ... ON THE CURL! [interlude: fiddle and accordion] [“Skipper Singer: dry”] Nice set. [Pause 2 bars] ...Now Prepare to JIBE me boys!!. [“Entire Crew Singers”] JIBE NOW??? .... OH!!!!! OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE!! [Concertina stab] [End]
