"The Black Ball Line"
American Folk Song

[Source: melody and words from pages 489-490 of
"American Ballads and Folk Songs"
by John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax]

1.
[SOLO]
I served my time on the Black Ball Line,
[CHORUS]
To my way-ay-ay hurrah!
[SOLO]
In the Black Ball Line I served my time,
[CHORUS]
Hurrah! for the Black Ball Line.

[MOTE: use same CHORUS lines between
lines of each SOLO]

2.
[SOLO]
Once there was a Black Ball Ship,
That fourteen knots an hour could clip,

3.
[SOLO]
You surely wil find a rich goldmine,
Just like a trip in the Black Ball Line,

4.
[SOLO]
Just take a trip to Liverpool,
To Liverpool, that Yankee school.

5.
[SOLO]
The Yankee sailors you’ll see there,
With redtop boots, and shortcut hair.