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Ward The Pirate

from Rock The Boat Live by Brian Stone

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about

This song is a traditional ballad about the 16th-17th century Barbary Corsair Jack Ward called "Captain Ward and the Rainbow". I based this arrangement on the version by the amazing Firepit Collective, who have been a huge inspiration to me. My audiences quickly adopted it as their own, even inventing a dance to accompany the refrain. No set is now considered complete without a rendition!

lyrics

Come all you gallant sailors bold,
All you who march to drum,
Let's go and look for Captain Ward,
Out on the sea he roams;
For he is the biggest robber
That ever you did hear,
And there's not been such a robber found
In above this hundred year.

And the wind blows high, and the wind blows low
All on the raging sea

A ship was sailing from the east
And heading for the west,
All laden with silks and satins fine
And velvets of the best,
On meeting there with Captain Ward,
It proved a bad meeting;
For he robbèd them of their wealth and store
And bid them tell their king.

So the king he had him built a ship of noted fame,
She was called the "Royal Rainbow,"
If you would know her name;
And she was as well provided for
As any ship could be,
With thirteen hundred sailors bold
To keep her company.

At six o' clock in the morning
They began to fight,
And so they did continue
Until eight o' clock at night.
"Oh fight on, fight on," cried Captain Ward,
"For this sport pleases me,
And although you fight for a week or more,
Your master I'll still be."

Then the "Royal Rainbow"
She fired, but all in vain,
Till 300 sailors brave
Upon the deck lay slain.
"Oh go home, go home," cried Captain Ward,
"And you tell your king from me,
He may be king of all the land,
But I'm king of the sea."

credits

from Rock The Boat Live, released September 12, 2017

license

all rights reserved

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