"Ship Ahoy! (All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor)" is an English music hall song from 1908, written by Bennett Scott and A. J. Mills of the Star

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company in London. Some sources credit Scott alone; others additionally credit their colleague

Fred Godfrey Fred Godfrey (17 September 1880 – 22 February 1953) was the pen name of Llewellyn Williams, a World War I songwriter. He is best known for the songs " Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" (1916) and " Bless 'Em All" (1917), a 1940s hit reco ...

. The song was first performed by

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Hetty King Winifred Emms (4 April 1883 – 28 September 1972), best known by her stage name Hetty King, was an English entertainer who performed in the music halls as a male impersonator over some 70 years. Early life She was born in New Brighton, Ches ...

. She later said that she first sang it at the

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in 1908, but it did not become successful until 1909, when it became popular and, towards the end of the year, was described as the greatest

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hit for four years. The song stayed in King's repertoire for the rest of her life, and has remained popular.Richard Anthony Baker, ''British Music Hall: an illustrated history'', pp.154-155 It was first recorded in 1910, by

Ella Retford Elinor Maud Dawe ( Flanagan, 2 July 1885 – 29 June 1962), who used the stage name Ella Retford, was an English music hall comedian, singer and dancer, and later a stage and film actress. Biography She was born in Sunderland (not Ireland, ...

. The words of the chorus are: "Ship Ahoy! (All The Nice Girls Love a Sailor)", ''Monologues.co.uk''
Retrieved 16 July 2020 :All the nice girls love a sailor :All the nice girls love a

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:For there's something about a sailor :Well, you know what sailors are :Bright and breezy, free and easy :He's the ladies' pride and joy :Falls in love with Kate and Jane :Then he's off to sea again :Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!

References

{{Reflist 1908 songs British songs Songs about boats Songs about sailors Music hall songs