John Kanaka

               

I heard, I heard the old man say,           John Kanaka-naka too-lai-ay!
Today, today is a holiday,                       John Kanaka-naka too-lai-ay!
|| :  Too-lai-ay, Oh! Too-lai-ay!            John Kanaka-naka too-lai-ay!  : ||

We’ll work tomorrow, but no work today,
For today, today is a holiday,

We’re outward bound for Frisco Bay,
We’re outward bound at the break of day.

We’re bound away around Cape Horn,
Where you wish to God you’d ne’er been born!

And when we get to Frisco Bay,
We’ll pay off ship and draw our pay.

|| :  Too-lai-ay, Oh! Too-lai-ay!          John Kanaka-naka too-lai-ay!  : ||