The Flying Dutchman

The sky was grey and cloudy And the wind was from the west When we spied a battered frigate With her tattered sail full dressed They signaled they had letters home They asked if we could take They dropped them in a barrel They left bobbing in their wake We reefed the sails and slowed the ship To fish the barrel out The old ship sailed to the distance Then we saw her come about The captain watched through a spy-glass When we heard him catch his breath And we saw the storm a-brewing Had become a wall of death Turn this ship around me boys Turn around and run! That storm it wants a battle And it's sure that were outgunned! What of the ship that's out there Do we leave her to the gale? She's called the Flying Dutchman And it's rage that fills her sails! The thunder growled like demons And the lightning stabbed the waves And the Dutchman she leapt towards us Riding fury from the grave Our captain, he stayed at the wheel The crew they manned the lines And still that ship and storm Were quickly closing in behind Our ship we crest a giant wave And crashed to the trough below And the crew held on to what they could They were damned if they let go The rain and sea and storm winds Crashed against our ship with wrath And from the deck of that cursed ship We could hear them laugh Turn this ship around me boys! Turn around and run! That storm it wants a battle And it's sure that we're outgunned! That ghostly ship is hunting us It's bringing on the gale! She's called the Flying Dutchman And it's rage that fills her sails! That was when we sighted land It became a race with time We believed in Santa Marta The Dutchman closing in behind "Risk it all!" the captain howled "It's the only chance we've got!" Salvation, if we make it And our souls, if we get caught The storm was all around us And the Dutchman cut our wind The beast nearly capsized us And we watched our strong mast bend We were almost to the harbor We could see the natural break And each man willed her forward For they knew what was at stake Turn this ship around me boys! Turn around and run! That storm it wants a battle And it's sure that we're outgunned! That ghostly ship is hunting us It's bringing on the gale! She's called the Flying Dutchman And it's rage that fills her sails! Once we charged into that harbor The Flying Dutchman heaved away And we heard their bitter screams For the devil lost his prey Once we made it safely To the leeward of the bay We cracked that barrel open To see what those letters say There must have been a hundred And that's when we realized These moldy parchments were addressed To those who'd long since died If you see a battered frigate 'Neath a grey and stormy sky Give way and watch behind you Or you'll hear your captain cry Turn this ship around me boys! Turn around and run! That storm it wants a battle And it's sure that we're outgunned! That ghostly ship is hunting us It's bringing on the gale! She's called the Flying Dutchman And it's rage that fills her sails!