Oh there was a ship and a ship of fame
Launched off the stocks bound to sail the main
With a hundred and fifty brisk young men
Well picked and chosen every one
And William Glen was the captain's name
He was a fine and a tall young man
As bold a sailor as went to sea
And he was baying for High Barbary

On the first of April then we set set sail
Blessed with a fine and a prosperous gale
We were bound for New Barbary
With all of our ship's company
And we hadn't been a-sailing a league or two
'til all of our ship's jovial crew
They all fell sick but sixty three
As we were sailing to New Barbary

And one night then the captain he did dream
There came a voice which said to him
Prepare yourself and your company
For tomorrow night you must lie with me
This woke the captain in a terrible fright
It being the third watch of the night
And aloud to the bo'sun then he did call
And to him told his secrets all
When I in England I did remain
The Holy Sabbath I did profane
And I slew in Staffordshire
All for the love of his lady fair
And it's of the ghost that I am afraid
As in me such terror bred
Keep this secret within your breast
Pray to the Lord that he'll give you rest

They hadn't been a-sailing a league but three
'til raging brew the roaring sea
There rose a tempest all in the skies
Which did our hearts fill with such surprise
And the main mast sprung at the break of day
Which made our rigging to all give way
And did our seamen sore afright
The terrors of that fateful night

And the bo'sun he then did declare
That the captain he was a murderer
Which so enraged the whole ship's crew
That overboard our captain threw
Our treacherous captain he being gone
Immediately there was a calm
And the winds abated and so did the sea
And we went sailing to New Barbary