Lyrics Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull

Flying Dutchman

Old lady with a barrow, life near ending

Standing by the harbor wall, warm wishes sending

Children on the cold sea swell, not fishers of men

Gone to chase away the last herring

Come empty home again

So come all you lovers of the good life

On your supermarket run

And set a sail of your own devising

And be there when the Dutchman comes

Oh, you better be there when the Dutchman comes

Wee girl in a straw hat, from far east warring

Sad cargo of an old ship, young bodies whoring

Slow ocean hobo, ports closed to her crew

No hope of immigration, keep on passing through

So come all you lovers of the good life

Your children playing in the sun

And set a sympathetic flag a-flying

Oh, and be there when the Dutchman comes

Oh, you better be there when the Dutchman comes

Death grinning like a scarecrow, Flying Dutchman

Seagull pilots flown from nowhere, oh, try and touch one

As she slips in on the full tide and the harbor master yells

All hands vanished with the captain, no one left, the tale to tell

So come all you lovers of the good life

Look around you, can you see?

Staring ghostly from the mirror, it's the Dutchman you will be

Floating slowly out to sea, oh, in a misty misery, no