William Glenn Lyrics - John Wesley Harding

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