Told My Captain

(album: Joan Baez In San Francisco - 1964)

Told my captain
My hands were cold.
God damn your hands, boy,
Let the wheeling roll!
Told my captain
My feet were cold.
God damn your feet, boy,
Let the wheeling roll!

Captain, captain
You must be bling
Look at your watch
It's past quitting time.
Captain, captain
How can it be,
Whistle done blow
You still working me?

Asked my captain
To give me my time
Dam' old captain
Wouldn't pay me no mind.
If I'd-a had my
Weight in lime
Would've whupped that captain
Till he went stone blind.

Raised my hand
To wipe the sweat from my head
Damned old captain
Shot my buddy dead.
If you don't believe
That my buddy's dead
Just look at the hole
In my buddy's head.

Captain walking up and down
Buddy's lying on the burning ground.
Buzzards circling 'round the sky
Buzzards sure know
Captain's gonna die.