Steeleye Span - The Black Freighter lyrics
[Steeleye Span - The Black Freighter lyrics]
You gentlemen can gawk while
I'm scrubbing the floors
And I'm scrubbing the floors
While you're gawking
And maybe once you tipped me and
It made you fell swell
In this ratty waterfront, in this ratty hotel
But, you never know to whom you're talking
You never guess to whom you're talking
Suddenly one night there's a
Scream in the night
And a yell: what the hell is that din
And you see me kind of
Grinning while I'm scrubbing
And you'll say: what's she got to grin?
And the ship, the black freighter
With the skull at the masthead
Sails into the bay
Then you gentlemen can say: hey girl
Scrub the floors
Make the beds, get up the stairs
Earn you keep here
And you pass out the tips as
You look out at the ships
But, I'm counting up heads as
I'm making up beds
'cause tonight none of you will sleep here
Tonight none of you will sleep here
Then on that night there's a
Banging in the night
And you yell: what the hell is that row
And you see me kind of staring out the window
And you'll say: what she got to stare at now?
And the ship, the black freighter
With fifty long cannons
Opens fire on the town
Then you gentlemen can wipe all
The grins off your face
Every building in the town is a flat one
The whole stinking place will be
Down to the ground
Only this cheap hotel will be
Standing safe and sound
And you say: why do they spare that one?
You say: why do they spare that one?
Then all night through with a noise and to do
You'll wonder who's the person lives up there
And you see me stepping out into the morning
Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair
And the ship, the black freighter
Runs a flag up her masthead
And cheer rings the air
Then just before noon there'll
Be hundreds of men
Coming up off that ghostly freighter
And they're moving in the shadows
Where no-one can see
And they're chaining up the people and
They're bringing them to me
Asking me: kill them now or later?
Asking me: kill them now or later?
Noon on the clock and so still on the dock
You could hear a foghorn miles away
In the quiet of death I'll say: kill 'em now
And they'll pile up the bodies
And I'll say: hoopla!
And the ship, the black freighter
Sails away out to sea and on it is me
I'm scrubbing the floors
And I'm scrubbing the floors
While you're gawking
And maybe once you tipped me and
It made you fell swell
In this ratty waterfront, in this ratty hotel
But, you never know to whom you're talking
You never guess to whom you're talking
Suddenly one night there's a
Scream in the night
And a yell: what the hell is that din
And you see me kind of
Grinning while I'm scrubbing
And you'll say: what's she got to grin?
And the ship, the black freighter
With the skull at the masthead
Sails into the bay
Then you gentlemen can say: hey girl
Scrub the floors
Make the beds, get up the stairs
Earn you keep here
And you pass out the tips as
You look out at the ships
But, I'm counting up heads as
I'm making up beds
'cause tonight none of you will sleep here
Tonight none of you will sleep here
Then on that night there's a
Banging in the night
And you yell: what the hell is that row
And you see me kind of staring out the window
And you'll say: what she got to stare at now?
And the ship, the black freighter
With fifty long cannons
Opens fire on the town
Then you gentlemen can wipe all
The grins off your face
Every building in the town is a flat one
The whole stinking place will be
Down to the ground
Only this cheap hotel will be
Standing safe and sound
And you say: why do they spare that one?
You say: why do they spare that one?
Then all night through with a noise and to do
You'll wonder who's the person lives up there
And you see me stepping out into the morning
Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair
And the ship, the black freighter
Runs a flag up her masthead
And cheer rings the air
Then just before noon there'll
Be hundreds of men
Coming up off that ghostly freighter
And they're moving in the shadows
Where no-one can see
And they're chaining up the people and
They're bringing them to me
Asking me: kill them now or later?
Asking me: kill them now or later?
Noon on the clock and so still on the dock
You could hear a foghorn miles away
In the quiet of death I'll say: kill 'em now
And they'll pile up the bodies
And I'll say: hoopla!
And the ship, the black freighter
Sails away out to sea and on it is me