William Glenn Lyrics by 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

SEARCH LYRICS