Black William

Black William

I was born in Bristol in 1684

Me father was a privateer, me mother was a whore

I was weaned on rum, got saltwater in me veins

I was born to be a pirate, Black William is me name

I signed up on a merchant it was both our maiden cruise

We sailed out from Bristol with a loyal English crew

With a fair wind in me sails and a following sea

Me heart was brimming o’er with a life of sailing free

But sailing before the mast is far from sailing free

No better than a slave was my life upon the sea

The captain he was cruel, the mate a bloody prick

He’d give you forty lashes just for feeling sick

Discontent’s a sore that festers in a crew

We had ourselves a mutiny before the month was through

Them was loyal to the captain we gave them each an oar

And we put em in the long boat, bid em row yourselves ashore

The captain and the mate, we each gave a mighty whack

And set the dogs adrift with just a shirt upon their backs

We named our ship the Gypsy ‘cause we didn’t have a home

And o’er the seven seas the Gypsy she did roam

We took a couple prizes for their money and their rum

And we never felt remorse for the pirates we’d become

With a fair wind in me sails and a following sea

Here’s a bloody rum to a life of sailing free!

It had been several weeks since we’d taken our last prize

Our stores were running low and the drink was running dry

When out on the horizon, the lookout spied a mast

We knew that we could catch her cause the Gypsy she was fast

Twas a fine Spanish ship sailing low upon the sea

We knew she carried treasure, she was bound for Espany

So we hoist the Jolly Roger to strike terror in their hearts

We’d have their bloody treasure or we’d blow their ship apart

We all gave a shout as we turned the ship about

And we gave them a fiery broadside and we knocked her mainmast down

We swarmed on board, overwhelmed their fighting few

And the treasure it was ours before the day was through

We sailed into the sun with a volley from our guns

For none can catch us when the Gypsy she do run

And with a fair wind in me sails and a following sea

Here’s a bloody rum to a life of sailing free!