Captain Coulston

Traditional
(Steeleye Span)

         Dm                C              Dm             C
Come and join with Captain Coulston, that hero stout and bold,
    Dm
Who fought his way all on the sea, and never was controlled.
    Dm                C               Dm              C
For six long weeks in summer gales we sailed upon the sea,
    Dm
All bound for New York City, that city fair to see.
    Dm              C          Dm                C
The captain and his lady, they came on deck each day,
   Dm
To help us with our merriment, going to Amerikay.
                    C           Dm               C
The merriment being over, we're going to bed one night,
    Dm
The captain he came upon deck to see if all was right.
   Dm                C                Dm                C
He said, "My boys do not go down, you need not think on sleep,
    Dm
For in a few hours we shall be slumbering in the deep.
      Dm                                          C
For a pirate ship is coming down upon the western sea,
   Dm
To rob us of our property going to Amerikay."


The pirate ship came up to us, and ordered us to stand.
"Your gold and precious loading, this moment I demand.
Your gold and precious loading, resign to me this day,
Or not a soul you'll ever bring unto Amerikay."
The battle it commenced, brave boys, and blood in streams did flow
While undaunted did our passengers the pirate overthrow.
The cries of women and children lying in the hull below,
While the captain and his passengers the pirate did overthrow.
The pirate ship surrendered, just by the break of day,
And we brought her as a bounty unto Amerikay.


Andy Irvine notes: "Can it really be that pirates would lay in
wait for poverty stricken emigrant ships sailing to the new
world? Captain Coulston's wife was well able to deal with them
anyway. I heard this from the great Brigid Tunney, the best
singer I ever heard. . . ."

Steeleye Span also named Brigid Tunney as their source.

This song probably originated as just a pirate ballad and was
turned into an emigration ballad in the 19th century, which
explains the slightly confused story.

On Steeleye Span's album "Ten Man Mop," 1971