Ahh you people can watch while I'm scrubbing these floors   And I'm scrubbing these floors while you're gawking   Maybe once you tip me and it makes you feel swell   In this crummy southern town   In this pit of hotel   But you'll never guess to who you're talking   No   You'll never guess to who you're talking      Then one night there's a scream in the night   And you wonder: "who could that have been ? "   And you see me kind of grinning while I'm scrubbing   And you say "what she got to grin ? "   I'll tell ya   There's a ship   The black freighter   With a skull on it's mast-head   Will be coming in      You gentlemen say: "hey gal, finish them floors   What's wrong with you ? earn your keep here"   You toss me your tips and look to the ships   But I'm counting your heads as I'm making the beds   'cause there's nobody gonna sleep here tonight   No   Nobody   No-one   No-one      Then one night there's a scream in the night   And you say: "who's that kicking up a row? "   And you see me kinda staring out the window   And you say: "what she got to stare at now ? "   I'll tell ya   There's a ship   The black freighter   Turns around in the harbour   Shooting guns from her bow      Well you gentlemen can wipe those smiles off your face   'cause every building in town is a flat one   This whole frigging place will be down to the ground   Only this cheap hotel standing up, safe and sound   And you yell: "why do they spare that one ?    "why?    "why the hell do they spare that one ? "      All the night through with the noise and to do   And you wonder: "who is that person that lives up there ? "   And you see me stepping out in the morning   Looking fine with a ribbon in my hair   Well just look at me now   And a ship   The black freighter   Runs a flag up it's mast-head   And a cheer rings the air. hey!      My ? ? ? on the dock is a swarming with men   Coming out from the ghostly freighter   They're moving in the shadows where no-one can see   And they're chaining up people   And delivering 'em to me   Asking me: "kill them now or later ? "   Asking me: "kill them now or later ? "      Noon by the clock and so still at the dock   You can hear a fog horn miles away   And in that quiet of death I'll say:   "right now !"   "right now !"   And they pile up the bodies   And I'll say: "that'll learn you.   That'll learn you."      And the ship   The black freighter   Disappears out to sea   And   On   It   Is   Me !