Sailing 'neath a veil of stars, coming round the coast A mighty schooner parts the waves as silent as a ghost All cannons are loaded, and every cutlass bright The lookout stands on top of the mast with the harbour in his sight
CHORUS: She was the bravest ship that ever sailed across the seas Her tattered flag waving black in the salty ocean breeze Every mate and officer, they were true rebels all So sing a chanty for the crew of The Rusty Cannonball
They burned the royal navy off Tortuga Bay Left them smoldering on the waves in dismal disarray The captain laughed upon the deck with bottles in both hands Shouting "Go to hell for you'll surely drown before you reach the land!"
CHORUS
The ship went down one stormy night with every hand aboard The cold wind cracked all of her masts then in the water poured So if piracy runs through your veins, beware your cursed fate To the crushing depths you're surely bound, make no mistake
LAST CHORUS: She was the bravest ship that ever sailed across the seas Her tattered flag waving black in the salty ocean breeze Every mate and officer, they were true rebels all So take a lesson from this tale of The Rusty Cannonball