Celtic Lyrics Corner > Artists & Groups > Tannahill Weavers > Capernaum > Captain Ward

   
Capernaum Captain Ward
   
Credits: a) Captain Ward - traditional; arranged by the Tannahill Weavers
b) The Streaker - D. Johnston; arranged by the Tannahill Weavers
   
Appears On: Capernaum
   
Language: Scots-English
   

Lyrics:

Come, all ye jolly mariners
That love to tak' a dram
I'll tell ye o' a robber
That o'er the sea did come

He wrote a letter tae the king
On the eleventh of July
To see if he wad accept o' him
For his jovial company

"Na, na," says the king
"Oh that can never be
They tell me ye're a robber
A robber on the sea"

He has built a bonnie ship
An' sent her tae the sea
Wi' fower and twenty mariners
To man his bonnie ship wi'

An' they sailed up, an' they sailed doon
Sae stately, blythe an' free
'Til they spied the king's high Reindeer
Like a leviathan on the sea

"Why sit there, ye tinker
Ye silly coordly thief?
Why lie there, ye tinker
An' hold oor king in grief?"

They fought from one in the morning
'Til it was six at night
Until the king's high Reindeer
Was forced to tak' her flight

Gae hame, gae hame, ye tinkers
Tell ye your king fae me
Though he reign king upon good dry land
I will reign king upon sea

Come, all ye jolly mariners
That love to tak' a dram
I'll tell ye o' a robber
That o'er the sea did come

He wrote a letter tae the king
On the eleventh of July
To see if he wad accept o' him
For his jovial company

"Na, na," says the king
"Oh that can never be
They tell me ye're a robber
A robber on the sea"

He has built a bonnie ship
An' sent her tae the sea
Wi' fower and twenty mariners
To man his bonnie ship wi'