Fifteen men on a dead man's chest --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! The bosun brained with a marlinspike --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And cookey's throat was marked belike --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! It had been gripped by fingers ten And there they lay, all good dead men Like break o'day in a boozing ken
Fifteen men of the whole ship's list --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist! --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! The skipper lay with his nob in gore --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And the scullion he was stabbed times four --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And there they lay, and the soggy skies Dripped down in up-staring eyes In murk sunset and foul sunrise
Fifteen men of 'em stiff and stark --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Ten of the crew had the murder mark! --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Or a yawing hole in a battered head --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And the scuppers' glut with a rotting red --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And there they lay, aye, damn my eyes Looking up at paradise All souls bound just contrariwise
Fifteen men of 'em good and true --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Ev'ry man jack could ha' sailed with Old Pew, --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! There was chest on chest of Spanish gold --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! With a ton of plate in the middle hold --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And the cabins riot of stuff untold, --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And they lay there that took the plum With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb While we shared all by the rule of thumb,
More was seen through a sternlight screen... --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Chartings undoubt where a woman had been --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Twas a flimsy shift on a bunker cot --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Oh was she wench or some shudderin' maid That dared the knife and took the blade By God! she had stuff for a plucky jade
Fifteen men on a dead man's chest --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! We wrapped 'em all in a mains'l tight --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! With twice ten turns of a hawser's bight --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! And we heaved 'em over and out of sight, --Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell,
The Original song title was \"Derelict\" and in 1901 was used in a play \"Treasure Island\" more lyrics added by Young Ewing Allison 1891.