Oh I thought I heard the old man say,
"Leave her, Johnny. Leave her."
It's a long hard pull to the next pay day
and it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh oh leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
For the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her.
Oh the skipper was bad, but the mate was worse.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
He'd blow you down with a spike and a curse
and it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh oh leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
For the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her.
Oh pull you lubbers or you'll get no pay.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh pull you lubbers and then be lay
and it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh oh leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
For the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her.
Oh I thought I heard the old man say,
"Leave her, Johnny. Leave her."
It's a long hard pull till the next pay day
and it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh oh leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
For the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her.
Leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
Oh oh leave her, Johnny. Leave her.
For the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
and it's time for us to leave her.
Not a profound meaning just a good folk song. The word in the fifth stanza is belay , a nautical word for cease or stop.