Lyrics Pirates (Live in Nassau, 1978) - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Who'll make his mark
The Captain cried
To the Devil drink a toast
We'll glut the hold
With cups of gold
And we'll feed the sea with ghosts
I see your hunger for a fortune
Could be better
Served beneath my flag
If you've the stomach
For a broadside
Come aboard my pretty boys
I will take you and make you
Everything you've ever dreamed
Make fast the guns tonight we sail
When the high tide floods the bay
Cut free the lines
And square the yards
Get the black flag stowed away
The Turk the Arab and the Spaniard
Will soon have pennies on their eyes
And any other laden fancy
We will take her by surprise
I will take you and make you
Everything you've ever dreamed
Six days off the Cuban coast
When a sail ahead they spied
A Galleon of the treasure fleet
The mizzen lookout cried
Closer to the wind my boys
The mad eyed Captain roared
For every man that's alive tonight
Will be hauling gold aboard
Spare us the galleon begged
But mercy's face had fled
Blood ran from the screaming souls
The cutlass harvested
Driven to the quarter deck
The last survivor fell
She's ours my boys
The Captain grinned
And no one left to tell
The Captain rose from a silk divan
With a pistol in his fist
And shot the lock from an iron box
And a blood red ruby kissed
I give you jewelry of turquoise
A crucifix of solid gold
One hundred thousand silver pieces
It is just as I foretold
You, you see there before you
Everything you've ever dreamed
Anchored in an indigo moonlit bay
Gold eyed 'round fires
The sea thieves lay
Morning, white shells
And a pipe of clay
As the wind filled their footprints
They were far, far away
Our sails swell full
As we brave all seas
On a westward wind
To live as we please
With the wicked wild eyed woman
Of portobello town
Where we've been told
That a purse of gold
Buys any man a crown
They will serve you and cloth you
Exchange your rags
For the velvet coats of kings
Who'll drink a toast with me
I give you liberty
This town is ours - tonight
Landlord wine
And make it the finest
Make it a cup for a sea dogs thirst
Two long years of bones and beaches
Fever and leaches did their worst
So fill the night with paradise
Bring me peach and peacock
'Till I burst
But first, I want a soft touch
In the right place
I want to feel like a king tonight
Ten on the black
To beat the Frenchman
Back you dogs
Give them room to turn
Now open wide sweet Heavens gate
Tonight were gonna
See if Heaven burns
I want an angel on a gold chain
And I'll ride her to the stars
It's the last time
For a long, long time
Come the daybreak we embark
On the flood of the morning tide
Once more the ocean cried
This company will return one day
Though we feel your tears
It's the price we pay
For there's prizes to be taken
And glory to be found
Cut free the chains
Make fast your souls
We are eldorado bound
I will take you
For always, forever, together
Until Hell calls our names
Who'll drink a toast with me
To the Devil and the deep blue sea
Gold drives a man to dream