John Wesley Harding - William Glenn Lyrics
Oh its of a ship and a ship of fameLaunched off the stocks, bound to sail the mainWith one hundred and fifty brisk young menWell picked and chosen every oneAnd william glenn was the captains nameHe was a fine and a tall young manAs fine a sailor as sailed the seaAnd we were sailing to new barbaryOn the first of april, then we set sailBlessed with a fine and a prosperous galeAnd we were bound for new barbaryWith all of our whole ships companyWe hadnt been sailing a league or twoTil all of our whole ships jovial crewThey all fell sick but 63As we were sailing to new barbaryOne night the captain then he did dreamA voice came to him and said to himPrepare yourself and your companyFor tomorrow night you must lie with meThis woke the captain in a terrible frightIt being the third watch of the nightAnd aloud for the bosun then he did callAnd to him told his secrets allBosun he said it grieves my heartTo think Ive played a villains partA man I slew in staffordshireAnd all for the sake of his lady fairAnd of the ghost of that I am afraidThat has in me such terror bredSo keep the secret within your breastAnd pray to the lord that he gives you restWe hadnt been a sailing a league but threeTil raging grew the roaring seaThere rose a tempest up in the skiesWhich did our seamen much surpriseAnd the main mast sprung by the break of dayWhich made our rigging all but to give wayAnd did our seamen much afrightThe terrors of that awful nightAnd then the bosun he did declareThat the captain was a murdererThis so enraged the whole ships crewThat overboard our captain threwOur treacherous captain he being goneImmediately there came a calmAnd the winds abated and so did the seaAnd we went sailing to new barbaryAnd when we came to the spanish shoreOur good little ship for to repairThe people there were amazed to seeOur dismal case and such miseryNow seamen all wherever you may beI pray you take a warning from meAs you love life wont you have careAnd never go sailing with a murderer
