Smith Of Bristol

(album: Double Dubliners - 1972)

Smith was a Bristol man
and a rare old sort was he
With his cutlass and his pistols, heave-ya ho
He'd a noble crew of cut-throats
who used to scour the sea
A plundering and a robbing, high and low
He swore 'twas no concern',
he didn't give a herring
Bout right or wrong or any holy show
He swore that grabbing booty
was Britain's foremost duty
Wherever she could get it, heave-ya ho

Heave-ya ho, Heave-ya ho,
He swore that grabbing booty was Britain's foremost duty
Wherever she could get it, heave-ya ho

Smith had a noble soul
and lofty was his pride
With his cutlass and his pistols, heave-ya ho
He'd watch his beaten foe-men
jump out into the tide
Call ye beggars who had no where else to go
And hanging from his lanyards
swung Portuguese and Spaniards
And beaten Frenchmen jumping to and fro
Right along the blazing story
shall allure in England's glory
Pirate Smith of Bristol, heave-ya ho

Heave-ya ho, Heave-ya ho,
He swore that grabbing booty was Britain's foremost duty
Wherever she could get it, heave-ya ho

But accidents they happen even to heroes such as he
With his cutlass and his pistols, heave-ya ho
He was standing on his capstan as happy as could be
Hoping soon to have another prize in tow
When a whistling Spanish bullet
came and caught him in his gullet
And very sad to say it laid him low
He was only ninety-seven,
but his soul has gone to heaven
To rest on Nelson's bosom, heave-ya ho
Heave-ya ho, Heave-ya ho,
He was only ninety seven
But his soul has gone to Heaven
to rest in Nelson's bosom, heave-ya ho

Heave-ya ho, Heave-ya ho,
He swore that grabbing booty
was Britain's foremost duty
Wherever she could get it, heave-ya ho