THE SEA SERPENT CHANTEY
IThere’s a snake on the western waveAnd his crest is red.He is long as a city street,And he eats the dead.There’s a hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down.And he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown.Let the audience join in the chorus.Chorus:—This is the voice of the sand(The sailors understand)“There is far more sea than sand,There is far more sea than land. Yo ... ho, yo ... ho.”IIHe waits by the door of his caveWhile the ages moan.He cracks the ribs of the shipsWith his teeth of stone.In his gizzard deep and longMuch treasure lies.Oh, the pearls and the Spanish gold....And the idols’ eyes....Oh, the totem poles ... the skulls ...The altars cold ...The wedding rings, the dice ...The buoy bells old.Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.IIIDive, mermaids, with sharp swordsAnd cut him through,And bring us the idols’ eyesAnd the red gold too.Lower the grappling hooksGood pirate menAnd drag him up by the tongueFrom his deep wet den.We will sail to the end of the world,We will nail his hideTo the main mast of the moonIn the evening tide.Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.IVOr will you let him live,The deep-sea thing,With the wrecks of all the worldIn a black wide ringBy the hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down,Where he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown?Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.
IThere’s a snake on the western waveAnd his crest is red.He is long as a city street,And he eats the dead.There’s a hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down.And he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown.Let the audience join in the chorus.Chorus:—This is the voice of the sand(The sailors understand)“There is far more sea than sand,There is far more sea than land. Yo ... ho, yo ... ho.”IIHe waits by the door of his caveWhile the ages moan.He cracks the ribs of the shipsWith his teeth of stone.In his gizzard deep and longMuch treasure lies.Oh, the pearls and the Spanish gold....And the idols’ eyes....Oh, the totem poles ... the skulls ...The altars cold ...The wedding rings, the dice ...The buoy bells old.Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.IIIDive, mermaids, with sharp swordsAnd cut him through,And bring us the idols’ eyesAnd the red gold too.Lower the grappling hooksGood pirate menAnd drag him up by the tongueFrom his deep wet den.We will sail to the end of the world,We will nail his hideTo the main mast of the moonIn the evening tide.Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.IVOr will you let him live,The deep-sea thing,With the wrecks of all the worldIn a black wide ringBy the hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down,Where he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown?Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.
I
There’s a snake on the western waveAnd his crest is red.He is long as a city street,And he eats the dead.There’s a hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down.And he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown.
There’s a snake on the western wave
And his crest is red.
He is long as a city street,
And he eats the dead.
There’s a hole in the bottom of the sea
Where the snake goes down.
And he waits in the bottom of the sea
For the men that drown.
Let the audience join in the chorus.
Chorus:—This is the voice of the sand(The sailors understand)“There is far more sea than sand,There is far more sea than land. Yo ... ho, yo ... ho.”
Chorus:—
This is the voice of the sand
(The sailors understand)
“There is far more sea than sand,
There is far more sea than land. Yo ... ho, yo ... ho.”
II
He waits by the door of his caveWhile the ages moan.He cracks the ribs of the shipsWith his teeth of stone.In his gizzard deep and longMuch treasure lies.Oh, the pearls and the Spanish gold....And the idols’ eyes....Oh, the totem poles ... the skulls ...The altars cold ...The wedding rings, the dice ...The buoy bells old.
He waits by the door of his cave
While the ages moan.
He cracks the ribs of the ships
With his teeth of stone.
In his gizzard deep and long
Much treasure lies.
Oh, the pearls and the Spanish gold....
And the idols’ eyes....
Oh, the totem poles ... the skulls ...
The altars cold ...
The wedding rings, the dice ...
The buoy bells old.
Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.
III
Dive, mermaids, with sharp swordsAnd cut him through,And bring us the idols’ eyesAnd the red gold too.Lower the grappling hooksGood pirate menAnd drag him up by the tongueFrom his deep wet den.We will sail to the end of the world,We will nail his hideTo the main mast of the moonIn the evening tide.
Dive, mermaids, with sharp swords
And cut him through,
And bring us the idols’ eyes
And the red gold too.
Lower the grappling hooks
Good pirate men
And drag him up by the tongue
From his deep wet den.
We will sail to the end of the world,
We will nail his hide
To the main mast of the moon
In the evening tide.
Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.
IV
Or will you let him live,The deep-sea thing,With the wrecks of all the worldIn a black wide ringBy the hole in the bottom of the seaWhere the snake goes down,Where he waits in the bottom of the seaFor the men that drown?
Or will you let him live,
The deep-sea thing,
With the wrecks of all the world
In a black wide ring
By the hole in the bottom of the sea
Where the snake goes down,
Where he waits in the bottom of the sea
For the men that drown?
Chorus:—This is the voice, etc.