The Crew

From The Seattle Star, April 10, 1913.
 

 It’s pleasant on the upper deck
     Where ocean breezes blow
 To lazy in a steamer chair
     And watch the waves that flow;
 It’s pleasant on the upper deck,
     But mighty hot below.
 
 There’s fun upon the upper deck
     There’s mirth and laughter free,
 There’s music on the upper deck
     As gay as it can be.
 But it’s the boilers down below
     That drives her through the sea.
 
 It’s fine upon the upper deck
     While downward, near the keel,
 The blaze will make you nearly blind,
     The heat will make you reel.
 But we’re the boys who make the steam
     That drives the shaft of steel.
 
 The people on the upper deck,
     They only pays their way;
 We stokers in the boiler room,
     We envies such as they.
 But we—we drives the bloomin’ ship,
     While they—they only play!
 
 There always is an upper deck
     And boilers down below,
 And them that’s on the upper deck,
     They think they’re all the show.
 But it’s the fellows near the keel
     That makes the vessel go.