Dawn in the Tavern (A Tortuga Revelry Shanty) (Chorus – belted loud, mugs hammering the tables) Ohhh, the sun stabs in like a cutlass bright, Through the shutters of the tavern this golden fight! We’re sore as hell but rich as kings, With silver in our pockets and rum still in our wings! Heave ho, lads, the night is done, Fill the bowls and greet the sun! (Verse 1) Old Greg wakes with a skull split wide, Like a broadside hit him square in the pride. Bottles lie dead like a beaten fleet, Sawdust thick with the plunder at our feet. The hearth is cold but the tales burn hot, Every scar’s a story, every grog a shot! (Chorus) (Verse 2) Young Josh wipes tables with a grin so bold, Still tasting the fog and the Spanish gold. “Remember the mist?” he laughs through the pain, “When we boarded that donkey like a hurricane!” The guard swung wild and the lad spun free, Left him gaping like a fish in a red-red sea! (Chorus) (Verse 3) Holly storms through with her battle tray, Oatmeal and eggs to chase ghosts away. “Eat, ye devils, or I’ll keel-haul the lot, Ye’ll not die of hunger on Holly’s watch!” She pours the water, she quells the fight, Keeps the whole damned rookery roaring bright! (Chorus) (Verse 4) The beams are scarred and the lanterns sway, Laughter rolls like a following wave. From corner to corner the stories grow tall, Till every rogue’s the hero of all. The harbor wind sneaks through the wall, Whispers “Come, lads, the sea still calls!” (Final chorus – slower, then roaring) Ohhh, the sun climbs high o’er the smoking bay, But the night’s wild glory won’t fade away! We’re bruised, we’re rich, we’re alive, by thunder, Tortuga’s heart beats loud down under! Heave ho, lads, the tale is done— Till the next fat prize and the next night’s run!
