The sky was grey and cloudy and the wind was from the west
When we spied a battered frigate with her tattered sail full dressed
They signaled they had letters home, they asked if we could take
They dropped them in a barrel, they left bobbing in their wake

We reefed the sails and slowed the ship to fish they barrel out
The old ship sailed to the distance and we saw her come about
The captain watched through a spy-glass and we heard him catch his breath
And we saw the storm a-brewing had become a wall of death

Turn this ship around, my boys
Turn around and run!
That storm it wants a battle
And it’s sure that were outgunned!
What of the ship that’s out there
Do we leave her to the gale?
She’s called the Flying Dutchman
And it’s rage that fills her sails!

The thunder growled like demons and the lightning stabbed the waves
And the Dutchman she leapt t’wards us riding fury from the graves
Our captain, he stayed at the wheel, the crew they manned the lines
And still that ship and storm were quickly closing in behind

Our ship we crest a giant wave and crashed to the trough below
And the crew held on to what they could, they were damned if they let go
The rain and sea and storm winds crashed against our ship with wrath
And from the deck of that cursed ship we could hear them laugh

Turn this ship around, my boys!
Turn around and run!
That storm it wants a battle
And it’s sure that we’re outgunned!
That ghostly ship is hunting us
It’s bringing on the gale!
She’s called the Flying Dutchman
And it’s rage that fills her sails!

That was when we sighted land it became a race with time
We believed it Santa Marta The Dutchman closing in behind
“Risk it all!” the captain cried “It’s the only chance we got
Salvation if we make it and our souls if we get caught!"

The storm was all around us and the Dutchman cut our wind
The beast nearly capsized up and we watched our strong mast bend
We were almost to the harbor, we could see the natural break
And each man willed her forward for they knew what was at stake

Turn this ship around, my boys!
Turn around and run!
That storm it wants a battle
And it’s sure that we’re outgunned!
That ghostly ship is hunting us
It’s bringing on the gale!
She’s called the Flying Dutchman
And it’s rage that fills her sails!

Once we charged into that harbor The Flying Dutchman heaved away
And we heard their bitter screams for the devil lost his prey
Once we made it safely to the leeward of the bay
We cracked that barrel open to see what those letters say

There must have been a hundred and that’s when we realized
These moldy parchments were addressed to those who’d long since died
If you see a battered frigate ‘neath a grey and stormy sky
Give way and watch behind you or you’ll hear your captain cry

Turn this ship around, my boys!
Turn around and run!
That storm it wants a battle
And it’s sure that we’re outgunned!
That ghostly ship is hunting us
It’s bringing on the gale!
She’s called the Flying Dutchman
And it’s rage that fills her sails!