Song o’ the ‘Dagger’

“I’ll pay ye back, and more besides!”

    The old man shouted loud,

“When Red-eyed Jack o’ the “Dagger” returns

    “I’ll hold me head up proud!”

“A drink for all, the best o’ beef

    and all me debts I’ll settle.

I’ll have a portion full - but more...

    his word to vouch me mettle!”

“Away with ye’!  Scurvy wretch!”

    The watchman shook his head

“A leg, one arm and barely an eye,

    a month and you’ll be dead.”

“A drunken, wasted, tavern rat

    ’tis all of ye I see,

A beggar now, a beggar then

    ’tis all ye’ll ever be!”

“Mock, me not!” The grey-beard cried

    “The tale I tells is true,

Of bigger days, and bolder ways

    and better men than you!”

“Twenty years I sailed with him

    ’til worthless men arose.

A mutiny - a murder

    for a moonless night they chose!

Now, Jack be sleepin’ soundly

    as the cowards find their mark

But I been smellin’ trouble

    so I’m waitin’ in the dark

I slit the first from ear to ear ...

    the second shouts “Curse you!”...

He shoots me in the leg,

    while with me’ blade I run ’im through!

The third he cries and runs away.

    The life-boat now wants he…

But ’fore he draws a free man’s breath

    He’ll have to go through me

So knife in hand it’s overboard

    ’midst cut and blood and bone

’til bleeding, cold, victorious

    ashore I wash, alone.

And now in every port I sing

    The song o’ the Dagger’s night

with hopes that Red Eyed Jack prevailed

    to hear his ship-mate’s plight”

The Watchman turned his head a sneer

    “We’re done with all yer lies!

If Jack appear to good folk here

    I’ll bow before their eyes”

“The Dagger be sent to Davy Jones

    That and all her crew.

If treasure there be there’s none fer ye’

    old dog, ye know it true!”

Now a pirate sees most every shade

    And that he learns to bear

But this, at last, be a tellin’ made

    to shed a red-eyed tear

Three paces full I strode at haste

    to where the old man sat.

Three bags of gold I proudly placed

    upon his boney lap.

A hush to shake the rafter falls

    upon the crowded inn

And to the door the watchman calls

    a runnin’ from his sin.

“Not so fast!” I bellow loud

    “Yer day is not hear done.

Ye’ve said yer piece and now it’s time

    fer Jack to have some fun!”

“So bow before these fine good folk

    Aye, bow to kneel and pray

And kiss the hand of the one I owe

    a debt too high to pay!”

    So next ye’ hear an old salt sing

        A song of better days

    Be sure to mind yer manners, fer

        his Captain comes to pay!