Lyrics Black Gold - Van Dyke Parks
I
had
seen
the
captain
drinking
When
he
took
that
stinking
cargo
out
Without
a
doubt
he
went
too
far
I
don't
know
what
he
was
thinking
But
he
will
take
us
out
to
sea
Eighty
thousand
metric
tons
of
crude
A
crew
of
twenty-one
Just
ajar
her
screws
in
motion
War
pounding
through
the
ocean
All
the
stars
rotating
in
their
canopy
Rolling
in
the
hold
Time
would
now
unfold
To
this
black
gold
Back
and
forth
In
time
for
every
swell
The
heavens
fixed
Upon
our
last
farewell
Then
she
hit
the
water
with
a
shudder
It
had
got
her
As
she
went
down
What's
up?
says
Heard
to
utter
was
the
captain
in
his
cups
In
my
gut
I
know
we
all
are
doomed
She
broke
up
A
hemmorage
of
oil
gushed
A
rage
abroil
from
the
soiled
foil
of
her
hull
And
she
was
pulled
beneath
The
waves
into
her
grave
down
in
the
gloom
My
heart
is
still
in
pain
Bounding
on
the
main
All
this
black
gold
My
mandolin
will
tell
her
how
I
feel
An
agony
of
ebony
and
steel
What
great
balls
of
fire
felt
for
miles
around
A
river
spelt
an
ess
of
oil
slithering
To
leave
your
blackened
It
is
not
romantic
in
the
morning
And
never
mind
come
hithering
Slick
stick
on
the
shore
Seaside
panic
scores
of
frantic
birds
Yet
antic
as
they
slog
through
all
It
augurs
as
an
ecologic
nightmare
to
be
sure
Black
gold
hades
High
command
Black
gold
nature's
Upper
hand
All
this
black
gold
With
ladies
in
mercedes
on
the
strand
The
tar
upon
her
car
and
in
the
sand
I'm
the
way
the
resurrection
I'd
say
on
him
reflecting
With
what
we're
doing
here
For
sure
he'd
want
to
Down
the
deepest
trenches
As
their
cadavers
hold
palaver
And
the
gravity
of
their
endeavors
Christ
I'm
not
sure
he'd
feel
secure
Lead
us
clear
out
of
this
dark
Man
is
stewing
in
his
stench
Cleverly
converts
them
into
shark
My
heart
is
still
in
pain
Bounding
on
the
main
All
this
black
gold
My
mandolin
will
tell
her
how
I
feel
An
agony
of
ebony
and
steel
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