'All hands on deck, we've run afloat!' I heard the captain cry
'Explore the ship, replace the cook: let no one leave alive!'
Across the straits, around the Horn: how far can sailors fly?
A twisted path, our tortured course, and no one left alive
We sailed for parts unknown to man, where ships come home to die
No lofty peak, nor fortress bold, could match our captain's eye
Upon the seventh seasick day we made our port of call
A sand so white, and sea so blue, no mortal place at all
We fired the gun, and burnt the mast, and rowed from ship to shore
The captain cried, we sailors wept: our tears were tears of joy
Now many moons and many Junes have passed since we made land
A salty dog, this seaman's log: your witness my own hand

When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had
Did you think that it might be time to stop?
When you knew that I was through
That I'd done all I could do
Did you really have to milk the final drop?
Not content with my mistake
You behaved just like a snake
And you left me for a wasp without a sting
Tell all my friends back home
That I did it on my own
And that to their well-worn cares they should cling
When you knew that I had given all the kindness that I had
Did you feel you had to break that lonely vow?
When you knew that I was through
That I'd done all I could do
Did you really have to sow that final plough?
Not content with my mistake, you behaved just like a snake
And you left me for a wasp without a sting
Tell all the folks back home that he did it on his own
And that to their well-worn cares they should cling

There's you, you're sleeping over there
Whilst me I'm sitting here
With so much sea between us
I can't make it much more clear
There'll be no time for crying
We won't make it more than six
I could change my plea to guilty
But I don't think it would stick
Still those other ratings far too easy to despise
You've said so much in silence now I truly am disguised
Let him who fears his heart alone
Stand up and make a speech
For him perhaps an emperor's throne
If he could only speak
Far too few and far to follow
For shame I'll heed the cry
Be with me when I need a drink
Be with me when I die
Still those other ratings far too easy to despise
You've said so much in silence now indeed I am disguised

The Devil came from Kansas. Where he went to I can't say
Though I teach I'm not a preacher, and I aim to stay that way
There's a monkey riding on my back, been there for some time
He says he knows me very well but he's no friend of mine
I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese
The Devil came from Kansas. Where he went to I can't say
If you really are my brother then you'd better start to pray
For the sins of those departed and the ones about to go
There's a dark cloud just above us, don't tell me 'cos I know
I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese
No I never came from Kansas, don't forget to thank the cook
Which reminds me of my duty: I was lost and now I look
For the turning and the signpost and the road which takes you down
To that pool inside the forest in whose waters I shall drown
I am not a humble pilgrim
There's no need to scrape and squeeze
And don't beg for silver paper
When I'm trying to sell you cheese

Some say they will and some say they won't
Some say they do and some say they don't
Some say they shall and some say they shan't
And some say they can and some say they can't
All in all it's all the same
But call me if there's any change
Some say there's nothing and some say there's lots
Some say they've started while some say they've stopped
Some say they're going and some say they've been
Yes, some say they're looking and some say they've seen
All in all it's all the same
But call me if there's any change

Well I opened my eyes this morning
I wasn't at home in bed
There were four angels standing round me
I thought I must be dead
Yeah I opened my eyes this morning
Thought I must be dead
There were four angels standing round me
And the room was painted red
Won't you have mercy on your wicked son
Take me up to heaven not hell where I belong
Yeah!
Well the sky began to tremble
And the rain began to fall
Four angels standing round me
And it weren't no social call
Yeah, the sky began to tremble
The rain began to fall
I fell down on my knees praying, Lord!
But it didn't do no good at all
Won't you have mercy on your wicked son
Take me up to heaven not hell where I belong
Yeah!

We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea
'Make haste to your funeral,' cries the Valkyrie
We'll hoist a hand or drown amidst this stormy sea
'Here lies a coffin,' cries the cemetery, it calls to me
And all for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed
No thoughts explained, no moments gained, all hope forever lost
One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace
Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire
We'll hoist a hand, becalmed upon a troubled sea
I fear a mighty wave is threatening me
We'll hoist a hand, or drown amidst this stormy sea
'Come follow after,' cry the humble, 'You will surely see ...'
But still for nothing quite in vain was hope forever tossed
No moments gained, no thoughts explained, all hope forever lost
One moment's space, one moment's final fall from grace
Burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire

It's not that I'm so cheerful, though I'll always raise a smile
And if at times my nonsense rhymes then I'll stand trial
My friends are all around me but they only breathe through fear
Were I to cry, I'm sure that still they'd never see a tear
In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me shining through
Dull and sullen, much subdued, my skull a stony glaze
Whirlpools rage on constantly, I'm not so well these days
There must be something somewhere near who sees what's being done
The harbour lights are burning bright, my wax is almost run
In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through
Come Lollard, raise your lute and sing, and to my ears her beauty bring
Like Maddox in the days of old we'll feast and drink until we fold
And folding still we'll spare a thought for what's been lost and what's been caught
And maybe then begin again for love is life, not poison
In darkness through my being here, away from you
The bright light of your star confronts me, shining through

You'd better listen anybody, 'cos I'm gonna make it clear
That my life is unimportant; what I've done I did through fear
There's a river running through me: on its tide I tried to hide
Nonetheless I could not shake it, and in the end it swept aside
All my feeble unimportance. I can't say it, never mind
Can't you hear me mother calling you? I'm cold, I'm deaf, I'm blind
And if only 'cos you're lucky, we both know that's no find
I did think I'd be an actor. What I am I'll leave behind
You'd better listen anybody, 'cos it's me and you --that's it
And in case you find your maker perhaps you'll plead for us a bit
All my sick is in my stomach, all my sweat is clearly fear
And if you could see inside me I don't think you'd have me here
Tell the helmsman veer to starboard, bring this ship around to port
And if the sea was not so salty I could sink instead of walk
And in case of passing strangers who are standing where I fell
Tell the truth: you never knew me, and in truth it's just as well

I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
In trying to find the words which might begin it
I found these were the thoughts I brought along
At first I took my weight to be an anchor
And gathered up my fears to guide me round
But then I clearly saw my own delusion
And found my struggles further bogged me down
In starting out I thought to go exploring
And set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
But only saw how far I was from home
In searching I forsook the paths of learning
And sought instead to find some pirate's gold
In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me
And still no hidden truths could I unfold
I sat me down to write a simple story
Which maybe in the end became a song
The words have all been writ by one before me
We're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on