To
William H. Davis, Esq.
(New York)
"Our Wandering Ships" (1874)
Ballad
Words by
George Cooper, 1840-1927
Music by
John Rogers Thomas, 1830-1896

New York: William A. Pond & Co., 547 Broadway
& 39 Union Square.
Chicago: Root & Lewis
Milwaukee: H. N. Hempsted
Pittsburg: Henry Kleber & Bro.
San Francisco: Matthias Gray
New Orleans: L. Grunewald
Plate No. 8611
[Source: @NYPL]

1. O, they sailed away so gaily, 
When our youth was in the prime! 
And we watch their coming daily, 
From the fair enchanted clime, 
From the fair enchanted clime! 
They will bring us end less treasures 
From the mines beyond the main; 
They will bring us fame and pleasures, 
We are sighing for in vain. 

[REFRAIN sung after each verse]
They are sailing, they are sailing, 
O’er the ocean’s pearly foam, 
And our joy will be unfailing, 
When our wand’ring ships come home! 
And our jpy will be unfail ing, 
When our wand’ring ships come home!

2. Tho’ our ships may haply perish 
In the lone, deceiving waves, 
And the hopes we fondly cherish 
Follow them to gloomy graves, 
Follow them to gloomy graves, 
Time but leaves us where it found us, 
Waiting for them on the shore, 
While the simple joys around us. 
We are lowing ever more!