Lyrics Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Pirates

Who'll make his mark

The captain cried

To the devil drink a toast

We'll glut the hold

With cups of gold

And we'll feed the sea with ghosts

I see your hunger for a fortune

Could be better

Served beneath my flag

If you've the stomach

For a broadside

Come aboard my pretty boys

I will take you and make you

Everything you've ever dreamed

Make fast the guns tonight we sail

When the high tide floods the bay

Cut free the lines

And square the yards

Get the black flag stowed away

The turk the arab and the spaniard

Will soon have pennies on their eyes

And any other laden fancy

We will take her by surprise

I will take you and make you

Everything you've ever dreamed

Six days off the cuban coast

When a sail ahead they spied

A galleon of the treasure fleet

The mizzen lookout cried

Closer to the wind my boys

The mad eyed captain roared

For every man that's alive tonight

Will be hauling gold aboard

Spare us the galleon begged

But mercy's face had fled

Blood ran from the screaming souls

The cutlass harvested

Driven to the quarter deck

The last survivor fell

She's ours my boys

The captain grinned

And no one left to tell

The captain rose from a silk divan

With a pistol in his fist

And shot the lock from an iron box

And a blood red ruby kissed

I give you jewelry of turquoise

A crucifix of solid gold

One hundred thousand silver pieces

It is just as I foretold

You, you see there before you

Everything you've ever dreamed

Anchored in an indigo moonlit bay

Gold eyed 'round fires

The sea thieves lay

Morning, white shells

And a pipe of clay

As the wind filled their footprints

They were far, far away

Our sails swell full

As we brave all seas

On a westward wind

To live as we please

With the wicked wild eyed woman

Of portobello town

Where we've been told

That a purse of gold

Buys any man a crown

They will serve you and cloth you

Exchange your rags

For the velvet coats of kings

Who'll drink a toast with me

I give you liberty

This town is ours - tonight

Landlord wine

And make it the finest

Make it a cup for a sea dogs thirst

Two long years of bones and beaches

Fever and leaches did their worst

So fill the night with paradise

Bring me peach and peacock

'till I burst

But first, I want a soft touch

In the right place

I want to feel like a king tonight

Ten on the black

To beat the frenchman

Back you dogs

Give them room to turn

Now open wide sweet heavens gate

Tonight were gonna

See if heaven burns

I want an angel on a gold chain

And I'll ride her to the stars

It's the last time

For a long, long time

Come the daybreak we embark

On the flood of the morning tide

Once more the ocean cried

This company will return one day

Though we feel your tears

It's the price we pay

For there's prizes to be taken

And glory to be found

Cut free the chains

Make fast your souls

We are eldorado bound

I will take you

For always, forever, together

Until hell calls our names

Who'll drink a toast with me

To the devil and the deep blue sea

Gold drives a man to dream