Samhain Sun

A cold October wind was blowing
cross the decks of the Samhain Sun
silently paddling through the black water
facing our duty there’s work to be done
Twenty of us were packed in each longboat
Up o’er the side and onto the decks
not a word whispered from the sailors on watch
just silent screams out of freshly cut necks

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas

Seven on deck we dispatched without notice
then to the lower decks we crept
the captain and crew we killed in their hammocks
Then found where the women and children were kept
So we began to take them all for’d
the lieutenant had four of us find them a cell
and had us lock up all the children and ordered
the women be bound in the wardroom be held

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas

When we came on deck that cold autumn morning
seventeen hammocks were laid in a row
last rights were read and we started them over
when one of the hammocks started to groan
We cut it open to find a survivor
a child barely conscious with blood o’er his eye
tucked ‘tween the legs of one of the sailors
to be thrown over to secretly die

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas

In all of the hammocks we found other children
we ran below to the wardroom and found
most of the women tied up in the corner
while others to tables and benches were bound
trembling and crying and bleeding they were
from the terrible things that had happened that night
we untied them, told them to stay and be quiet
and vowed to each other to set this thing right

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas

We killed all the officers and in short order
swore all the crew to secrecy (to secrecy)
Knowing if ever we were sent for trial
We would all dance on the gallows tree (the gallows tree)
Never again will I follow such orders
of men bent on murder and cruelty (and cruelly)
always a sailor I am not a traitor
‘twas not mutiny but decency

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas

I only wanted to do by my duty
Never prepared for the horrors I’d see
Not enough rum here to forget their faces
Not enough whiskey to drown out their pleas