Ceann Monahan The Mutineer Lyrics

He was Halifax born and breed
Long in the arm and thick in the head
To leave Halifax there's a quote
Just threw a bottler on a boat
And while he was no sailor
He found work upon a whaler
But when he came to St. Pierre
It was clear that he didn't care

They took him to the gangway and they gave him lashes twenty
The Captain ordered thirty but his daughter begged for mercy
And she stepped in before they stabbed him
Then she took him to her cabin
There she gave him wine and water
And a bit more than she ought'tre
So set the sails and walk the plank
What is your name and what is your rank
If you don't work then you'll be hung
So become a mutineer while you're young

Now the Captain was no fool
He told his men "If you break the rule
You'll all end up like Monahan"
You'll taste the cat to every man
And life upon a ship is hard
And who exactly guards a guard when the Captain goes insane
The men get treason in their veins

The next day Monahan passed the word
And all those that knew and heard
And when they called for anchors away
Well that was the order they disobeyed
This time the Captain walked the plank
They let him off near Grand Bank
Back to Halifax you can swim And as he drowned they sang to him

So set the sails and walk the plank
What is your name and what is your rank
They opened the cask and gave three cheers
For Monahan the Mutineer
And for the moment all seemed well
Until the sea began to swell
The wind blew
The boat began to tip
They felt the hull begin to rip
And as they went into the sea
Monahan screamed this advice at me
"If we must die while we are young
It's better to drown than to be hung."

So set the sails and walk the plank
What is your name and what is your rank
If you don't work don't volunteer
Like Monahan the Mutineer

And off in Halifax town
The rats come biting the houses down
And on the beaches and on the piers
Where the beers still mix with tears

Old men still tell of Monahan
This mutineer and old faded plan
And how they all went into the sea
And none survived except for me

So set the sails and walk the plank
What is your name and what is your rank
If you don't work then you'll be hung
So become a mutineer while you're young
So set the sails and walk the plank
What is your name and what is your rank
If you don't work don't volunteer
Like Monahan the Mutineer