What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
Traditional · The Shanty Book, Part I
What shall we do with the drunken sailor,
What shall we do with the drunken sailor
Early in the morning?
Hooray and up she rises,
Hooray and up she rises,
Hooray and up she rises
Early in the morning.
2. Put him in the long-boat until he's sober. (thrice)
3. Pull out the plug and wet him all over. (thrice)
4. Put him in the scuppers with a hose-pipe on him. (thrice)
5. Heave him by the leg in a running bowlin'. (thrice)
6. Tie him to the taffrail when she's yard-arm under. (thrice)
About What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
"What shall we do with the drunken sailor?" finds Traditional in a pop-minded frame, where a clear central idea and emotional directness carry the song. The title gives the song a sharp center of gravity, but the mood is what stays with the listener once the first impression passes. There is a welcome sense of proportion in the way the music presents itself: the hook has room to land, while the surrounding moments support it instead of competing for attention. The best moments are the ones that let the central idea return with a little more weight each time, instead of forcing a bigger gesture. For listeners returning to Traditional, the song offers a compact example of how mood, pacing, and a recognizable point of view can meet in one place. That patience gives the track replay value: it feels immediate, yet it leaves enough space for small details and shifts in feeling to register later. The clarity of that approach is its own strength, because it lets the feeling come through without turning every moment into a dramatic demand. Even when it aims for immediacy, the track avoids feeling disposable because its atmosphere remains distinct after the final note. Its emotional center stays firmly in view throughout.