[Spoken Intro: – Old Bartholomew “Barnacle” Briggs, in a smoky harbor tavern] Aye… come closer, lads. Don’t be shy. You want to hear about The Salty Maiden, do ye?... It’s been near forty years since I last stood on her deck. The waves were meaner then, and the world was crueler, but none of that mattered to Captain One-Eyed John and his crew.... The man was half a devil, half a dream. Lost his eye to a Spanish blade and laughed about it for the rest of his life. But it wasn’t the captain alone that made that ship a legend — it was his people. Every cursed one of ‘em.... They weren’t saints. Not one. But they were loyal, and fierce, and they’d follow that mad bastard into the mouth of hell if he asked ‘em to.... Some say they did.... So pour yourself a drink, and I’ll tell ye how it happened — how The Salty Maiden and her crew sailed beyond the end of the world. [Verse 1] From Tortuga’s smoke to the Devil’s Deep, They sailed with hearts of flame, Through cannon fire and cursed reefs, In glory—not for fame. There was Mad Molly Marr, with her twin-blade grin, And Toothless Jack McCraw, Seamus “Sharkbite” O’Doyle, who laughed at pain, And Pegleg Pete McGraw. [Chorus] Hoist the black and drink the brine, We’ll follow him ‘til the stars align! Through storm, through hell, through fire’s breath, We’ll sail with John beyond our death! [Verse 2] Old Gertie Gunn, with her silver tongue, She’d curse a king to tears, Ragged Finn, the cannon’s kin, Blew thunder through the years. And One-Eyed John stood proud and grim, His gaze as cold as fate, But his heart, aye, burned for every soul Who dared to share his fate. [Chorus] Hoist the black and drink the brine, We’ll follow him ‘til the stars align! Through storm, through hell, through fire’s breath, We’ll sail with John beyond our death! [Bridge – Spoken Chant, Crew Voices in Echo] “No grave shall hold us!” cried the crew, “No tide shall wash our name!” For in the wind, the Maiden sails— Forever wild, forever flame! [Verse 3] They say one night the sky caught fire, And the sea went black as sin, But the Maiden split the storm in two, And the devil let ‘em in. Now when the moon bleeds red at sea, And the gulls all fall to hush, You’ll hear their song upon the breeze, And the ghostly cannons’ crush— [Verse 4] Then John stood tall upon the deck, The curse’s mark a-glow, He said, “Ye’ve one last chance, me friends — Turn back, or share me woe.” But not a soul stepped off that ship, No man nor maid turned ‘round, They raised their cups and swore an oath, “To hell, we’re Maiden-bound!” [Final Chorus – With Echoing Voices of the Dead Crew] Hoist the black and drink the brine, We’ll follow him ‘til the stars align! No man, no god, no grave, no chain, Can bind the crew o’ The Salty Maiden! [Outro – Old Bartholomew, softly] So here’s to John, that cursed saint, And the souls what sailed beside ‘im. The sea remembers every name... But the brave? The brave become the sea.
