John Wesley Harding - William Glenn lyrics

Oh it's of a ship and a ship of fame

Launched off the stocks, bound to sail the main

With one 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

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

We hadn't been sailing a league or two

Til all of our whole ship's jovial crew

They all fell sick but 63

As we were sailing to New Barbary

One night the Captain then he did dream

A voice came to him and said to him

"Prepare 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 for the bosun then he did call

And to him told his secrets all

"Bosun" he said "it grieves my heart

To think I've played a villain's part

A man I slew in Staffordshire

And all for the sake of his lady fair

And of the ghost of that I am afraid

That has in me such terror bred

So keep the secret within your breast

And pray to the lord that he gives you rest"

We hadn't been a sailing a league but three

Til raging grew the roaring sea

There rose a tempest up in the skies

Which did our seamen much surprise

And the main mast sprung by the break of day

Which made our rigging all but to give way

And did our seamen much afright

The terrors of that awful night

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 and so did the sea

And we went sailing to New Barbary

And when we came 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 pray you take a warning from me

As you love life won't you have care

And never go sailing with a murderer