Oh you slipped away from the harbour side    In the morning bright and clear    And your sails were filled with the rising 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