Harry Chapin — Salt and Pepper

The old sailor sat at the window seat So he could watch as the ships went by And he drank from a glass that was always filled For the rest of us would buy And he would tell us tales about the ships that sailed When he was young and strong And when he thought we'd heard enough of his words He'd break into this song Dee dee dee dah dah dah dee dee dee dah dah Dah dah dee dee dee dum Each and every day he'd spend this way Until the stroke of four When a woman as rough as a dockside tough Came bursting through the door She'd stalk up to that sailor And he'd shrink to the size of a pin And she'd curse and shout and as she hauled him out He'd say with a sheepish grin: I've sailed the southern oceans And the stormy northern sea But now that me sailin's over, me boys It's harbor time for me I know you call us Salt and Pepper For an old salt I may be But though she may be pepper to you, me boys She's sweet as sugar to me Dee dee dee dah dah dah dee dee dee dah dah Dah dah dee dee dee dum Yes, we called them Salt and Pepper For that's the way she was And it seemed she got as least as hot As fresh red pepper does And a bunch of the boys made offers To protect him from her wrath But each and every time, he would decline Declaring with a laugh: I've sailed the southern oceans And the stormy northern sea But now that me sailin's over, me boys It's harbor time for me I know you call us Salt and Pepper For an old salt I may be But though she may be pepper to you, me boys She's sweet as sugar to me Dee dee dee dah dah dah dee dee dee dah dah Dah dah dee dee dee dum I've had my body broken Not drowned, but parched bone-dry I've heard my name be spoken I've spit in the Devil's eye The sea once was my mistress Now Pepper's replaced her But just another captain Like my tough old captain's were And you can have your milquetoast ladies I'm made of old salt brine And the gal you saw had starch in her craw Not a lace instead of a spine Sure, the old girl can get tough at times But a sailor's what I've been And when a storm's about, you learn to ride it out So you can sail once again I've sailed the southern oceans And the stormy northern sea But now that me sailin's over, me boys It's harbor time for me I know you call us Salt and Pepper For an old salt I may be But though she may be pepper to you, me boys She's sweet as sugar to me Dee dee dee dah dah dah dee dee dee dah dah Dah dah dee dee dee dum