'Twas of a sea captain came o'er the salt pillow
He courted a maiden down by the green willow
Oh take of your father his gold and his treasure
Oh take of your mother her fee without measure

Ladadadada....

I take of my father his gold and his treasure
I take of my mother her fee without measure
She's come with the captain down to the seaside, O!
We'll sail to lands foreign upon the blue tide, O!

And when she had sailed today and tomorrow
She was beating her hands, she was crying in sorrow
And when she had sailed not many a mile, O
The maid was delivered of a beautiful child, O!

O captain, o captain, here's fifty gold crown, O
I pray thee to bear me and turn the ship around, O
O captain, o captain, here's fifty gold pound, O
If thou would but set me upon the green ground, O

O never, o never, the wind it blows stronger
O never, o never, the time it grows longer
And better it were that thy baby and this, O
Should drown and the crew of the vessel I vow, O
They took a white napkin, about her head bound it
They took a white napkin, about feet wound it
They cast her then over, both baby and she, O
Together to sink, in the cool salt sea, O

The moon, it was shining, the tide, it was running
O what in the wake of the vessel was swimming?
O see, boys, o see how she floats in the water!
O see boys, o see! the undutiful daughter!

Why swim in the moonlight, upon the sea swaying?
O what art thou seeking, for what art thou praying?
O captain, O captain, I float on the water
For the sea giveth up the undutiful daughter

O, take of my father the gold and the treasure
O, take of my mother her fee without measure
O, make me a coffin of gold that is yellow
And bury me under the banks of green willow!

The sails they were spread, and the wind it was blowing
The sea was so salt, and the tide it was flowing
They steered for the land, and they reached the shore, O
But the corpse of the maiden had reached there before, O