[Verse 1] Fog rolls heavy on a moonless tide Lanterns swing and the dead men ride Boots on timber, hear the hull boards groan Steel in the dark and you’re not alone Whispers crawl through the cargo hold Salt-stung prayers and hands turned cold Black sails blot out the dying light You should’ve feared the sea tonight [Pre-Chorus] Hear that knock on your cabin door? That ain’t the wind like times before It’s the scrape of blades and a splintered gate Tick-tock, boys… choose your fate (Chorus) Fish or cut bait — make your peace Walk the plank or beg for release One wrong word and you’re chum by dawn Sharks’ll sing where you’ve gone Fish or cut bait — choose your side Swallow your pride or swallow the tide Gold or guts, it’s all the same The sea don’t care what was your name [Verse 2] Grappling hooks bite into rail Powder smoke and a blood-red hail Captain laughing with a crooked grin “Drop your steel… or we’ll skin you thin.” Deck runs slick where the lanterns fall Screams get lost in the cannon’s call Rope burns wrists in a tightening bind Mercy’s something we left behind [Pre-Chorus] Hear that splash in the black below? That’s the last poor soul let go Cold embrace and a final breath Saltwater’s kiss is a lover named death [Chorus] Fish or cut bait — make your peace Walk the plank or beg for release One wrong word and you’re chum by dawn Sharks’ll sing where you’ve gone Fish or cut bait — choose your side Swallow your pride or swallow the tide Gold or guts, it’s all the same The sea don’t care what was your name [Bridge — darker, slower] Tie ‘em up, line ‘em straight Let ‘em stare at the devil’s gate Hear the waves like a funeral drum Another body — here they come No court, no crown, no saving grace Just brine and bone in a nameless place When the ocean calls your bluff You’ll find out quick if you’re hard enough [Breakdown — aggressive] Overboard! Overboard! Feed the dark we can’t afford Kick and claw, sink or swim Pray your sins don’t follow him [Final Chorus — bigger, chant-like] Fish or cut bait — last chance now Kneel to the blade or take a bow Step by step to the end of the line Salt in your lungs and blood in the brine Fish or cut bait — hear that cry Gulls circle low in a crimson sky When the black flag claims your breath You’re just another debt to death [Outro] Fog rolls heavy… lanterns fade… Another choice you never made… Fish… …or cut bait.
