Gilbert And Sullivan - When Frederic Was a Little Lad lyrics

When Frederic was a little lad He proved so brave and daring His father thought he'd 'prentice him To some career seafaring I was, alas! his nurserymaid And so it fell to my lot To take and bind the promising boy Apprentice to a pilot A life not bad for a hardy lad Though surely not a high lot Though I'm a nurse, you might do worse Than make your boy a pilot I was a stupid nurserymaid On breakers always steering And I did not catch the word aright Through being hard of hearing; Mistaking my instructions Which within my brain did gyrate I took and bound this promising boy Apprentice to a pirate A sad mistake it was to make And doom him to a vile lot I bound him to a pirate ? you! Instead of to a pilot I soon found out, beyond all doubt The scope of this disaster But I hadn't the face to return to my place And break it to my master A nurserymaid is not afraid Of what you people call work So I made up my mind to go as a kind Of piratical maid-of-all-work And that is how you find me now A member of this shy lot Which you wouldn't have found, had he been bound Apprentice to a pilot