It's of a sailor of whom I write
Unto the seas he took great delight
Two maidens fair he did beguile
And those two maidens he had with child

Oh, one of them for public shame
Unto some handsome grove she came
And there at length for to end all strife
She cut it there, the thread of life

She hung herself down from a tree
Where two men a-hunting, did her see
They got a knife and cut her down
And on her bosom a note was found

And this was writ in letters large:
"Don't bury me, I do you charge
But on the ground there let me lie
That maids may see me as they pass by"

"Let them take warning by my fate
And quit this folly before its too late"
And while on land she plagued him so
To the seas at length he was forced to go

One morning on the topmast high
A little boat he chanced to spy
A little boat with a large crew of men
And a female ghost who stood up then

Down decks, down decks this young man goes
To greet the captain in his morning clothes
He says: "Captain, captain stand my defense
For I see a spirit coming hence"

So up on deck this captain goes
And there he spies this dreadful ghost
She says: "Captain, captain, tell me true:
Does such a man sail among your crew?"

"It was in St. Tallians this young man died
And in Saint Tallians his body lies"
She says: "Captain, captain don't tell me so
For he's sailing down in your ship below"

"And if you don't bring him up to me
A mighty storm you soon shall see
Which will cause both you and your gallant men to weep
And leave you slumbering in the deep"

Down decks, down decks this captain goes
And brings this young man up to his foes
And when she fixed her grim eyes on him
It made him tremble in every limb

Oh don't you remember when I was a maid
You caused my poor trembling heart to bleed
Now I'm a spirit and I come for thou;
You balked me once, but I've got you now

Down in her boat she forced him in
Down in her boat he was forced for to go
And as he did, we all did admire
For the boat went down in a flame of fire

And as she sank, she rose again
And, aye, she sang this mournful strain:
"You sailors all, who runeth behind,
Never prove false to young womankind"