“Queen’s Big Ships / Drunk At Sea” is a lively, theatrical sea shanty patter song about the fictional character Captain Higgs and his rise through the ranks of the 18th Century British Royal Navy.
An original musical jaunt written by James Drew, Strike Writer Media
Produced with Suno: https://suno.com/s/gN0A3jFHkvKvC5fU
Released on 8 September 2026
Copyright 2026, Strike Writer Media, all rights reserved
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[Intro]
Yo, give three cheers, and two hip hips
To a life at sea on the Queen’s big ships
To a life at sea on the Queen’s big ships!
[Bridge]
I’m drunk at sea
yes, I’m drunk at sea
’tis a very jolly thing to be drunk at sea
I always give three cheers and two hip hips
As I draw another pint, put it too my lips
(Gather ’round men)
[Verse]
Oh, when I was a lad they commissioned me
To the admiral’s service on a ship at sea
I could have been a lawyer or a banker on shore
But I never gave the shore a second thought at all
[Chorus]
Oh, Give three cheers, and two hip hips
To a life at sea on the Queen’s big ships
To a life at sea on the Queen’s big ships
♪
[Verse]
As a well-bred man with a penchant for the ocean
I always kept a lookout for my next promotion
Passed my oral exam, on the knots and riggs
Got a patch on my collar, named midship Higgs
[Chorus]
Hey, give three cheers, and two hip hips
To midship Higgs on the Queen’s big ships
To midship Higgs on the Queen’s big ships, hey!
♪
[Verse]
For the taste of rum, I took such a liking
Oh, the daily ration I was often spiking
I passed each day with a smile on my lips
Always giving three cheers and two hip hips
[Chorus]
Oh, give three cheers, and two hip hips
To a double shot of rum on the Queen’s big ships
To a double shot of rum on the Queen’s big ships, hey!
♪
[Verse]
When sailing to war in the Queen’s Navy
I was quick on the cannons and hard on the galley
I surprised the Spanish on the Cape of Good Hope
They made me the captain of a many-gun boat
Oh, give three cheers, and two hip hips
To the din of the cannons on the Queen’s big ships
To the din of the cannons on the Queen’s big ships, oh!
♪
[Verse]
With my ship of war I sailed across the ocean
Licked the French in Quebec for my next promotion
Now in my spacious cabin on my private deck
I sip sherry from a glass that has a very long neck
[Chorus]
Yes, give three cheers, and two hip hips
As we dine in the cabin of the Queen’s big ships
As we dine in the cabin of the Queen’s big ships, hey!
♪
[Verse]
Now to be drunk at sea is a very fine thing
I toast to the sails and the birds on the wing
I sing with the sailors in the midship’s berth
As we sail ’round the world with a very pleasant mirth
(As we sail off yonder on the Queen’s big ships)
(As we sail off yonder on the Queen’s big ships, oh!)
♪
[Verse]
Some advice to you men sipping two parts rum
Getting sloshed at sea can be lots of fun
But if an officer sneaks ’round and catches you
Mind yourself… and do as I do…
[Chorus]
Always give three cheers, and two hip hips
And you’ll soon be captains of the Queen’s big ships!
Yes, we’ll soon be captains of the Queen’s big ships!)
♪
Yes, you’ll all be captains of the Queen’s big ships!
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