Whydah Galley

Hey! Hey!

Get Larbord tacks onboard!

Medic, medic, medic!

The pale blue Boston moonlight paints my lonely cell

Coil the ropes on deck!

Tomorrow I might die, so I will my story tell

'Round and tight they go!

A carpenter at sea, I set off to make my trade

Neatly stowed and clear!

Shipping out from London, I with the Whydah sailed

Up the riggin'!

Aye, aye!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dye

Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dye

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Crossing the Atlantic, I my conscience must have sold

Up main t'gallant sail!

For in the cargo hold, we had chained five hundred souls

Pull with all you've got

In a new world colony, we our cargo put on sale

So heave, and up she goes!

Sailing back northeast when the black sails caught our tail

Lash and carry!

The Whydah galley twists and turns

Hey! Hey!

To England she will not return

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Run aground in heavy fog

Hey! Hey!

Reefers gathering at Cape Cod

Hey! Hey! Hey!

The chase went on three days at end

The pirates on us steady gained

Captain ordered strike our flag

And Bellamy his price soon had

Soon all maties joined their crew

The Whydah now the black flag flew

I would see my nail and saw

Forced to turn from land and law

We sailed up north for Newport, raiding 'long the shore

Prepare to come about!

Many were the ship-crews that fell victim in this war

About! Ready on your mark!

Till near the coast of Chatham, the fog came rolling in

Brace and hold her fast!

And in the milky white, we felt the hull give in

Heave and carry!

The Whydah galley twists and turns

Hey! Hey!

To England she will not return

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Run aground in heavy fog

Hey! Hey!

Reefers gathering at Cape Cod

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey!

Rye-dee-dye-dee-dye-dee-dah

Hey! Hey! Hey!

We struck a bank, then all went fast

The gales had grabbed and snapped our mast

List to port, her cannons rolled

The waves then took us, fierce and cold

With all my strength, I swam ashore

The crew but two were all done for

Come next day, a small detail

Of redcoats brought us straight to jail