Oh it's of a ship and a ship of fame
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Launched off the stocks, bound to sail the main
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With one hundred and fifty brisk young men
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Well picked and chosen every one
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And William Glenn was the captain's name
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He was a fine and a tall young man
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As fine a sailor as sailed the sea
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And we were sailing to New Barbary
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On the first of April, then we set sail
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Blessed with a fine and a prosperous gale
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And we were bound for New Barbary
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With all of our whole ship's company
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We hadn't been sailing a league or two
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Til all of our whole ship's jovial crew
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They all fell sick but 63
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As we were sailing to New Barbary
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One night the Captain then he did dream
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A voice came to him and said to him
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"Prepare yourself and your company
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For tomorrow night you must lie with me"
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This woke the captain in a terrible fright
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It being the third watch of the night
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And aloud for the bosun then he did call
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And to him told his secrets all
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"Bosun" he said "it grieves my heart
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To think I've played a villain's part
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A man I slew in Staffordshire
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And all for the sake of his lady fair
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And of the ghost of that I am afraid
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That has in me such terror bred
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So keep the secret within your breast
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And pray to the lord that he gives you rest"
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We hadn't been a sailing a league but three
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Til raging grew the roaring sea
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There rose a tempest up in the skies
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Which did our seamen much surprise
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And the main mast sprung by the break of day
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Which made our rigging all but to give way
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And did our seamen much afright
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The terrors of that awful night
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And then the bosun he did declare
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That the captain was a murderer
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This so enraged the whole ship's crew
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That overboard our captain threw
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Our treacherous captain he being gone
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Immediately there came a calm
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And the winds abated and so did the sea
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And we went sailing to New Barbary
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And when we came to the Spanish Shore
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Our good little ship for to repair
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The people there were amazed to see
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Our dismal case and such misery
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Now seamen all wherever you may be
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I pray you take a warning from me
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As you love life won't you have care
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And never go sailing with a murderer
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-----------------
|
William Glenn
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| John Wesley Harding |
