The Flying Cloud

My name is William Hollander as you will understand

I was born in the county of Waterford in Erin's lovely land

When I was young and in my prime a beauty on me shone

And my parents doted upon me, I being their only son

My father bound me to a trade in Waterford's fair town

He bound me to a cooper there by the name of William Brown

I served me master faithfully for seven long years or more

Til I shipped aboard the Ocean Queen belonging to Tramore

And soon we reached Bermuda's isle where I met with Captain Moore

The commander of the Flying Cloud from out of Baltimore

He asked me if I'd ship with him a slaving voyage to go

To the burning shores of Africa where the sugar cane does grow

It was after some weeks of sailing we arrived off Africa's shore

Five hundred of them poor slaves, me

Boys, from their native land we bore

We matched them up upon a plank and stowed them down below

Scarce eighteen inches to a man was all they had to go

Then the plague and fever came on board, swept half of them away

We dragged their bodies up on deck and throw them in the sea

It were better for the rest of them if they had died below

Than to work 'neath the cruel planters in Cuba forevermore

For it was after some stormy weather

Boys, we arrived off Cuba's shore

And we sold them to the planters there to be slaves forevermore

For the rice and coffee seed to sow beneath the broiling sun

And to lead a lone and wretched life til their career was run

Well it's now our money is all spent, we must go to sea again

When Captain Moore comes on the deck and says unto us men

There's gold and silver to be had if with me you'll remain

We'll hoist the pirate flag aloft and scour the Spanish Main

We all agreed but three young men who were told of them to land

Two of them were Boston boys, the other from Newfoundland

Well I wish to God I'd joined those men and went with them on shore

Than to lead a wild and reckless life serving under Captain Moore

For we sacked and plundered many a ship down upon the Spanish Main

Caused many a widow and orphan in sorrow to remain

To the crews we gave no quarter but gave them watery graves

For the saying of our captain was "Dead men tell no tales"

And pursued we were by many a ship, by frigates and liners too

Til at last the British man-of-war, the Dungeness, hove in view

She fired a shot across our bows as we sailed before the wind

Til her chain-shot cut our mainmast down and we fell far behind

Our crew they beat to quarters as they ranged up alongside

Soon across our quarterdeck there ran a crimson tide

We fought til Captain Moore was killed and fifteen of our men

Til a bombshell set our ship on fire, we had to surrender then

So it's now to Newgate we are brought, bound down in iron chain

For the sinking and the plundering of ships on the Spanish Main

The judge he found us guilty, we were condemned to die

Oh, young men, a warning by me take, lead not such a life as I

So it's fare you well old Waterford and the girl I do adore

I'll never kiss your cheek again, I'll squeeze your hand no more

For whiskey and bad company first made a wretch of me

Oh, young men, a warning by me take, and shun all piracy