William Glenn (Live)

Lyrics

[Intro] The following song includes the word "bosun." [Verse 1] Well, it's of a ship and a ship of fame Launched off the stocks, bound to sail the main With a hundred and fifty brisk young men Well picked and chosen, every one And William Glenn was the captain's name He was a fine and a tall young man As fine a sailor as sailed the sea And we were sailing to New Barbary [Verse 2] On the first of April, then we set sail Blessed with a fine and a prosperous gale And we were bound for New Barbary With all of our whole ship's company And we hadn't been sailing a league or two When all of our whole ship's jovial crew Well, they all fell sick but sixty-three And we were sailing to New Barbary [Verse 3] One night the Captain, he did dream That a voice came to him and it said to him "Beware yourself and your company For tomorrow night you must lie with me" This woke the captain in a terrible fright It being the third watch of the night And aloud to the bosun then he did call And to him told his secrets all [Verse 4] "Bosun," he said, "It grieves my heart To think that I played a villain's part But a man I slew in Staffordshire All for the sake of his lady fair And it's of the ghost of that that I am afraid That has in me such terror bred So keep the secret within your breast Pray to the Lord that he gives you rest" [Verse 5] Oh, we hadn't been a-sailing a league or three When raging grew the roaring sea There rose a tempest up in the sky Which did our seamen much surprise And the main mast sprung at the break of day That made our rigging all but to give way And did our seamen sore afright The terrors of that awful night [Verse 6] And then the bosun he did declare That the captain was a murderer This so enraged the whole ship's crew That overboard our captain threw Our treacherous captain he being gone Immediately there came a calm And the winds abated, so did the sea And we went sailing to New Barbary [Verse 7] And when we got to the Spanish shore Our good little ship for to repair The people there were amazed to see Our dismal case and such misery Now seamen all, wherever you may be I beg you take a warning from me As you love your life, won't you have a care And never go sailing with a murderer [Outro] Mr. Robert Lloyd, playing the accordion pump organ.