Track 1 – The Whydah – Black to Gold

The Whydah sailed in 1716
On what was to be her maiden cruise
From England to the coast of Africa she flew
There to fill her hold with sad and sorry souls
Stolen from their land and all they knew
Turning black to gold as slavers do

Her business soon enough was done
Load ’em up and run the captain said
Let’s not hang around, this coast fills me with dread
There’s something in the air, disease is everywhere
Half the crew will not see home again
But there’s cargo to be sold and trade to be controlled
Turn your black to gold and look ahead

Wood and nails, rope and sails
Bear no hate or grudge
Decks and rails, ties and tails
Are not what we should judge

So the Whydah sailed West upon the waves
Cargo turned to slave in pastures new
A fortune paid and a fortune made
Then time to load again to England and the rain
Third leg of the trade then start anew
You turn your black to gold is what you do

Wood and nails, rope and sails
Bear no hate or grudge
Decks and rails, ties and tails
Are not what we should judge

Black the gold, black the soul
Black the slaver trade
To be bought and sold
Young and old, labour ready made

Wood and nails, rope and sails
Bear no hate or grudge
Decks and rails, ties and tails
Are not what we should judge

Track 3 – Kings and Bankers

Will you come with me, Sam Bellamy
For now you know my notion – aye
You’re a likely crew from the smell of you
We’ll sail any ocean

Down at the bottom of a bright blue sea
Down with the crabs and the anchors
There waits for us the Spanish fleet
And we’ll live like kings and bankers

Shall we sail with the tide with the wind behind
Shall we sail to the blue Caribee – aye
Shall we then divide the gold we’ll find
Aye save a seat for me

Down at the bottom of a bright blue sea
Down with the crabs and the anchors
There waits for us the Spanish fleet
And we’ll live like kings and bankers

Here in the tavern will you make your mark
Will you sign up for this venture – aye
Here and now will you join this lark
We’ll sign up for adventure

Down at the bottom of a bright blue sea
Down with the crabs and the starfish
We’ll take our share of the Spanish fleet
And scuttle off right sharpish

Does the gold belong to the brave and strong
Or the ones who gets there first – aye
We can’t go wrong let’s get along
But first we’ll slake our thirst

Down at the bottom of a bright blue sea
Down with the crabs and the anchors
There waits for us the Spanish fleet
And we’ll live like kings and bankers

Track 4 – Richest Rogues Afloat

We sailed us with high spirits, a crew was was found and paid
Williams was the money man and so our course was laid
Stores were stored, provisions all were safely tucked away
And we in seventeen sixteen began our escapade me boys
Began our escapade

But what did we find when we got there
The Spanish had got there first
Sad but true and not fair but that was not the worst
Ships out of Bermuda and from Jamaica too
Had beat us to the prize
And there was nothing we could do me boys
Nothing we could do

Boo hoo said the crew, what’re we going to do
Going home with nothing is the last thing we should do

After some consultation a vote was voted on
Go back home with nothing or boldly carry on
Try for compensation from every ship we found
And so we turned a-pirate
And we turned our lives around me boys
Turned our lives around

Who knew said the crew, a life of derring-do
Could bring us in a fortune from the well heeled well to do

Gold we took and silver, food and silk and gems
Even took the better ships and traded up with them
Took all of their cannon but let them keep their lives
By giving them the older ship to go home to their wives
Me boys, go home to their wives

Fifty three ships we boarded on
The richest rogues afloat
So what could possibly go wrong me boys
Could possibly go wrong

Track 6 – Maria with Child and Without

A pretty girl Maria was with golden hair that blew across
Her face as she was let out of the jail
But anyone could see the loss
Her face was streaked with tears because
No one believed, it made her cross
Oh he left me
Oh, how I miss my Bellamy
Oh he left me
Me, with nothing but a bump in me belly

Mum and Dad would chuck her out
Ashamed their child would muck about
With Bellamy who had who led their lass astray
Loneliness began to show as did her belly and then so
Without a doubt, the lass had to go
Bellamy, no fortune
Bellamy had harpooned their daughter fine
Now he’s gone they said
Not regretting what he left behind
They were not kind but love is blind

What then could she do
Banished she withdrew
Had the child out in the wild
In a barn where the wind whipped through
Hunger though set in
Mum and babe grew thin
Leave the child she must and trust that some would pity him
The child would be alright
The straw would hold him tight
Never thought he might
Choke upon the straw that night

They said that she had killed the lad
With father gone, she must be mad
In jail she was sent to serve a term
Goody Hallett was renamed
The Witch of Wellfleet and the shame
Drove her away, exiled and ashamed

Oh to wait there
On the cliffs there to bear the pain
Oh to hate there
Waiting for the man who never came
No one to blame
She fades away
But to this day
She may be waiting there

Track 7 – John King

I left my mother and went to sea
On the ship of Captain Bellamy
Just a lad, John King, that’s me
Off to immortality

I will make a story where the mermaids call
I will live in glory, I will have it all

Oh the winds and oh the sails
Oh this life of many tales
On this isle of wood and nails
My fifteen years of life prevails

I left my mother and went to sea
On the ship of Captain Bellamy
Just a lad, John King, that’s me
Off to immortality

I will make a story where the mermaids call
I will live in glory, I will have it all

One silk stocking and a leather shoe
And a leg bone’s all I leave to you
Youngest sailor of a sunken crew
I made me name and that’ll do

I left my mother and went to sea
On the ship of Captain Bellamy
Just a lad, John King, that’s me
Off to immortality

I will make a story where the mermaids call
I will live in glory, I will have it all

I left my mother and went to sea
On the ship of Captain Bellamy
Just a lad, John King, that’s me
Off to immortality

Track 8 – Three Day Chase

Look to the horizon lads a ship I clearly see
Making sail to make us fail but what a prize she’d be
Fast as any other but much faster than a lot
Let’s bring her to our open arms and see what she has got
Let’s give chase boys
Win this race boys

She is a triple master boys a Gally by the look
Running ever faster but in time we’ll have her took
A hundred feet or more her length stretching bow to stern
See her fly but by and by we’ll have her in our turn
Make all sail boys
Let’s not fail boys

Look at her go it’s ship of pure poetry
See how she sails, fast for her size
Three days to catch her, we can only just match her
Bring out the grapples, we’ll make her our prize

Now we’re getting closer boys, she knows the game is up
She knows we mean to take her and she knows we won’t give up
Fly the skull and bones me lads and show your weapons bright
Make a lot of noise and they’ll give up without a fight
No disgrace
This three day chase is

Now the prize is ours and we will keep her for ourselves
The Whydah is a Gally only one year off the shelf
Whydah is a slaver only on her maiden cruise
Laden with the profit that the business can accrue
Wood and ivory, Indigo dye, Jesuit bark,
Sugar and molasses and gold dust, silver bars,
Sacks of coins between the decks so each of us gets
50 pounds weight of coin and there being one hundred
And eighty men on board that’s a lot of coin

Track 9 – A Free Prince

Captain, oh captain you’ve taken my ship
And now you’ve had all that you wanted from it
Captain, oh captain why not let it go
Why must you burn it and send it below

Ah on this ship what you see is democracy
Where every man has a vote
I want you to have it but the crew say it’s had it
And don’t want to leave it afloat

But Captain, oh captain that ship is my living
I’ve wives and a family in port
I see you don’t need it so why not release it
I promise I won’t make report

Ah that’s the thing what do promises bring
How much can we trust you my friend
We don’t want to choke on the end of a rope
The quicker your story could bring

Come join the crew; the better for you
Than to work in a punishing trade
You say your conscience will not let you break
The laws of God and men so begone, you are free
You are a free man Captain Beer
Free to watch your ship burn

“Damn my blood I am sorry they wont let you have your sloop again
for I scorn to do anyone a mischief when it is not for my advantage
damn the sloop, we must sink her and she might be of use to you

Tho’ damn ye you are a sneaking puppy and so are all those who will submit to be governed by laws which rich men have made for their own security, for the cowardly whelps have not the courage otherwise to defend what they get by their knavery; but damn ye all together; damn them for a pack of crafty rascals and you who serve them, for a parcel of hen-hearted numskulls.

They vilify us, the scoundrels do when there is only this difference; they rob the poor under cover of law forsooth
and we plunder the rich under protection of our own courage.

Had you not better make one of us than sneak after the asses of those villains for employment?

No?

Rascal, damn ye, I am a free prince and I have as much authority to make war on the whole world as he who has a hundred sail of ships at sea and an army of 100,000 men in the field and this my conscience tells me. But there is no arguing with such snivelling puppies who allow superiors to kick them about deck at pleasure and pin their faith upon a pimp of a parson, a squab who neither practices nor believes what he puts upon the chuckle-headed fools he preaches to.

Go on the Marianne, Captain Beer, go home. Your sloop will burn for I am a free prince and you will learn”

Track 10 – Let’s Go Home

Let’s go home, lets’ go home
We are rich beyond our wildest dreams
How much richer can we be
Let’s go home Bellamy

Let’s go home, let’s go home
A fortune we have stowed away
Let’s call it a day
Let’s go home, Bellamy

How much stronger can we be
How much longer can it be
Lady luck is like to let us be

Let’s go home, let’s go home
Tell our tales and famous be
The richest pirates on the sea
Let’s go home Bellamy

This cruise will live in infamy
How dreams became reality
When lady luck would sail with us carefree

Let’s go home, let’s go home
Get the girl and sail away
Somewhere warm out of the way
Let’s go home Bellamy
Let’s go home Bellamy
Let’s go home

Track 11 – Thomas Davis

Some men are born lucky and some men are not
Some borne into money some none of the sort
Some men are born handy like carpenters are
This here is Tom Davis the luckiest by far
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so, why did the storm not take Davis below

Tom Davis was forced onto Bellamy’s crew
They kept him aboard though he didn’t want to
For he was a carpenter honest and true
But too good to let go for the work he could do
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so
Why did the storm not take Davis below

He’d carry no pistol to show he meant well
No axe and no blade so in time he could tell
That he was a forced man trapped in this hell
An innocent man with no chance to rebel
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so why did the storm not take Davis below

Tom Davis had luck when the ship ran aground
He was thrown to the waves and he feared he would drown
Saying his prayers all a-sudden devout
The sea took Tom Davis and spat him back out
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so, why did the storm not take Davis below

Tom Davis survived, there were only two
One hundred and forty were lost in the stew
Imprisoned and tried he was found to be true
And walked away lucky to ever come through
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so, why did the storm not take Davis below

Think of that night, how scared you would be
Think of those men who were took by the sea
Think of Tom Davis no treasure had he
But the luckiest man of the ships company
Singing oh, oh we want to know
Why the almighty would let Davis go
Oh, oh why is it so, why did the storm not take Davis below

Track 12 – Shipwreck and Shudder

Never was a storm that that before – Shipwreck and shudder
Never such a fight in sight of shore – Storm will pull you under
The sky was dark so none could see – Shipwreck and shudder
No safe place for a ship to be – No gold plates for supper
Timbers creaking all around, anchors out she’d not turn round
Driven she towards the shore, Whydah soon would sail no more

Lifted up and then smashed down – Shipwreck and shudder
All a-sudden run aground – Waves will pull you under
Wind was up and the rigging down – Shipwreck and shudder
Whydah going nowhere now – No gold plates for supper
Sprung with a noise like cannon shot, the ship had masts and then did not
All their striving came to naught, stuck and battered on the spot

For the storm it was a Norther, stronger by the hour
Death and disorder with the Whydah broken now
The storm of storms

It’s a fact that colour matters not – Shipwreck and shudder
The crew were such a varied lot – Hells gates down under
Colours and religions all – Shipwreck and shudder
Went to the bottom where the sirens call – Fishbait for supper
Colour matters not my friend nor creed or where you came from
It’s all the same to the fishes when it is the dead they feed on

There’s bodies all a-washed up on the shore – Shipwreck and shudder
Pity you the boat that sails no more – Ship will pull you under
Pity you the crew washed overboard – Shipwreck and shudder
Never with a thought for the treasure hoard – Roger ain’t so jolly now
Two men lived when the storm was done, both were tried and justice done
One was forced and was set free, one was an Indian, slave he’d be

Colour matters not my friend – Shipwreck and shudder
Nor creed or where you came from – Waves pull you under
It’s all the same to the fishes when – Shipwreck and shudder
It is the dead they feed on – Fishbait for supper

Colour matters not my friend – Shipwreck and shudder
Nor creed or where you came from – Gold pulls you under
It’s all the same to the fishes when – Shipwreck and shudder
It is the dead they feed on – You’ll be fishbait for supper

(spoken)
The storm of storms, that’s what it was, the storm of storms in 1717, 140 lost souls, 102 washed up, 1 set free, no sign of Bellamy, never seen again, it was a Norther, the storm of storms

Track 13 – The Whydah, A Sea of Many Tears

I was born in 1715 I came from London town
I was a trader on the seas I worked my way around
I ran aground with crew and Captain
I was not found for many a year
I wasn’t drowned but oh I could have been in a sea of many tears

I slept for years in a Wellfleet bed I thought my days were done
Black Sam Bellamy had left me for dead and to his maker had run
And as begun those years went slowly
Only guns and ghosts with me
See now the sum of my glory and my shame I’ll share with thee

I was a slaver and I packed the hold with souls in misery
I was a trader and my heart was cold to the taking of liberty
And the ghosts in me were ever silent
It may be they now sound clear free of their lonely confinement
And the sea of many tears

Taken I by a pirate band and still the voices cried
Black Sam Bellamy took me in hand and let the fates decide
And we would ride the seas and oceans and we would ply the pirate trade
But short was our brief locomotion we were wrecked and at Wellfleet laid

Do you know now my name after all these long years, is it safe to tell
It’s a name that was written in blood and tears and to the tolling bell
I was named for a town of Africa
And to my shame I wear it still
For I am the Whydah of London town and I sailed in a sea of tears
I am the Whydah of London town and I sailed in a sea of tears