The Captain Said ...

On a night where the air hung sultry still
by the harbour, there, with his girl walked Bill.
Down he fell upon one knee
and he asked his love, "Will you marry me?"
But, his love, she pulled him up to stand,
"Bill, I cannot give to you my hand,"
she said, "I tell you now I've not been true —
for I am in love, but it's not with you!"
She turned around to walk away from there
but Bill reached out and he grabbed her hair.
​​​"Oh Bill," she wailed, "just leave me be,
you've too good a heart to love a girl like me."
He said, "But my hearts been took, been took by you!
You love me, girl, I know you do."
"But I don't, I led you false," she cried,
"Because I lied, Billy boy, I lied."

On the harbour wall he stood alone
Above the sea, far away from home
and not a single thing 'cept a silver ring
had he left when love had flown.

Well, the tavern called and it called out loud,
Bill drowned his sorrows with a raucous crowd:
it pulled him in with its vice and sin
and he heartily drank until his legs gave in.
Down he fell upon an empty chair
and fell right down beside a captain there.
"What you doing here, lad?" The captain mused.
"My heart's been broke, sir, its battered and bruised."
The tavern hushed to hear the sorry tale
of a love held true and a heart's betrayal;
each ear pricked, every one to a man —
'Cos nothing holds minds like a story can—
and the captain listened like all the rest
and he closed his eyes and he tapped his chest,
for he'd long lost count of the many scores
of times he had heard this tale before.

And the captain said, "Come sail with me!
I've the best damned ship upon the sea
you'll fit in fine with this crew of mine
aboard the Lady Lee.

Now, it might've been the humid night  —
or the ale and rum on a love lorn plight—
but, Bill, he could not think so clear
on that dreadful night he'd lost his love so dear.
And he climbed aboard a strange old ship,
a brigantine, for a long, long trip.
Off he sailed on the midnight tide
with a promise of adventure and a wild ride.
Well, far out at sea the thunder clapped,
the stars went out and the sky turned black 
but not a raging wind or a swelling sea
could ever harm a ship like the Lady Lee.
Songs are sung and stories told
of ghostly ships and troubled souls
called to the oceans for eternity
when the captain says, "Come sail with me."