Oh, you slipped away from the harbor side   In the mornin? bright and clear   And your sails were filled with the risin? wind   And you laughed for all to hear      But you never glanced at the ragged dance   Of your lovers on the quay   Don't call on them when the winds rise high   On the dark and the rolling sea      Oh, you set your course for the furthest shores   And you never once looked back   And the flag you flew was a pirate cross   On a field of velvet black      And those landsmen who you but lately knew   Were left stranded on the lea   Don't call on them when the storm clouds rise   On the dark and the rolling sea      Oh, I have no need of a chart or creed   You told your waiting crew   For the winds of chance, they will bear us straight   And you spoke as though you knew      So you paid no mind to the warning signs   As you gave your words so free   Don't change your tack when the timbers crack   On the dark and the rolling sea      Now the thunder rails in the great mainsails   And the stars desert the skies   And the rigging strains as the hands of rain   Reach down to wash your eyes      And your oarsmen stands with his knife in hand   And his eyes spell mutiny   Don't call my name when your ship goes down   On the dark and the rolling sea