Dead Man's Sea Shanty

Oh, ya bastard, how's this ruddy old thing work, anyway?
Right, ya bastards, gather 'round, we ain't got all day
You know the one, and well, if you don't, it goes like this

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

Hawkins, my name, no glory, but no shame
Just a humble young barman with a glint in my eye
Dawkins might claim all man is one and the same
But I'd hazard he'd never witnessed a dirty scoundrel as I'd
The ensemble of the fearful, singing the bastard's refrain, it went

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

All through the night, broken by sleep and by fight
Billy Bones sat alone with his liquor in hand
Till one dusking light, when blue face became white
And the old buccaneer lay dead with a black-spotted brand
In pity, I'd thought it fitting to once more
Pipe up the band and sing

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

I fled from the blind man with a map in my right hand
And set off to sea with an all-too-new crew
Captain Smollett, Trelawney, Livesey, Long John looking lively
Adventure to be had, and some mighty treasure too
Eyes on the prize, Silver fired up the guys
And with a mind for the loot, and a tongue for the booze, they sang
(Let's take her away, lads)

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

Hungry, wanting an apple, I climbed into that barrel
And I heard that blasted bastard taint a young sailor's mind
"We'll be off with the goods. Off with joy, out the woods
If you keep your trap shut and keep your faith placed in mine
We'll lay them all flat, aye, you may lay to that
And as we sail from those dullards, they'll hear that dainty old line
We'll sing

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum"

And sure enough, they had us, (that Silver's bloody callous)
But in my daring escape, I met one old soul, Ben Gunn
One more for our crew, I thought "Here's what I'll do
I'll steal back the Hispaniola and round the score to one-one"
And to the beat of two pistol shots
And the memory of those Bristol docks
I can't help but admit, the report of my gun seemed to sing

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

Now, God as my witness, I'll admit this: I got cocky
I thought I'd sneak back to base and regroup like nothing happened
But instead, there lay Silver and his bastard parrot Flint there
To raise havoc upon the entry of a boy they'd left flattened
But as they hauled me 'cross those hills
Their bones were fraught with chills
As they heard the namesake of the bird
A soul that should lay dead and blackened, sing

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

"Cap'n Flint is long dead"
"The river man holds his head"
The shook pirates finally took me to where the treasure lay low
But oh, little do they know, young Ben Gunn's the British hero
It was long gone from its pit, and now our ship's where it's stowed
We struck a deal, Silver and I
He'd lend his safety, I would testify
And we shed the mutineers with our resounding old ode
We sang

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

We fled, five good men, and a bastard that lucked to be near them
Right back home to old Blighty, with a glint in our eye
All but that scoundrel, that is
He took off, and he took his
And as he did, I got to thinking 'bout that lesser-heard rhyme

But one man of her crew alive
What put to sea with seventy-five
15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
(Let's bring her home, lads)

15 men on the dead man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum

If sailor tales to sailor tunes
Storm and adventure, heat and cold
If schooners, islands, and maroons
And buccaneers, and buried gold
And all the old romance, retold
Exactly in the ancient way
Can please, as me they pleased of old
The wiser youngsters of today
So be it, and fall on, if not

If studious youth no longer crave
His ancient appetites forgot
Kingston, or Ballantyne the brave
Or Cooper of the wood and wave
So be it, also, and may I
And all my pirates share the grave
Where these and their creations lie