[Intro – slow dirty blues guitar, low sinister organ]
[Captain – gravelly drawl]
Saw my face nailed to a tavern wall,
Twenty thousand gold beneath.
King says bring me back in irons…
Queen says bring me back with no teeth.
[Low organ growl]
Funny thing about them royal bastards—
They finally agree on something.
[Crew – low laughter]
Ha… ha… ha…
[Heavy riff]
[Verse 1]
Red coats waiting in the eastern ports,
Blue sails hunting in the west,
Three kings emptied their damned treasuries
Just to put a rope around our necks.
Every harbor’s got our likeness,
Every gallows knows our name,
But every time they raise the bounty,
They only feed the Black Flag’s fame.
[Pre-Chorus]
[Captain]
How many crowns want us hanging?
[Crew]
EVERY DAMN ONE!
[Captain]
How many navies want us sunk?
[Crew]
LET ’EM FUCKING COME!
[Chorus – gang shanty vocals, organ rising]
EVERY CROWN WANTS US DEAD!
EVERY KING WANTS OUR HEADS!
Send your frigates!
Send your guns!
Send every bastard under the sun!
We crossed through death!
We cheated hell!
Now hear that black iron bell!
If every crown wants blood instead—
COME AND GET US!
EVERY CROWN WANTS US DEAD!
[Dubstep bass drop – slow cannon-like impacts]
BOOM…
BOOM…
[Heavy riff and organ]
[Verse 2]
Saw six warships past the headland,
Another twelve beyond the bay,
Captain only poured another drink
And watched the bastards sail our way.
No surrender in these timbers,
No white cloth aboard this ship,
If a king wants chains around us,
He can come aboard and fucking try it.
[Crew – gang vocals]
COME ABOARD!
COME ABOARD!
COME AND CLAIM YOUR DAMN REWARD!
[Captain – gravelly]
Aye…
Just remember—
Dead men don’t spend gold.
[Organ break – dark blues groove]
[Bridge – Captain and Crew]
[Captain]
What does the northern king want?
[Crew]
OUR HEADS!
[Captain]
What does the southern queen want?
[Crew]
OUR BLOOD!
[Captain]
What does the empire want?
[Crew]
OUR SHIP!
[Captain]
And what are we giving ’em?
[Crew]
FUCK ALL!
[Heavy riff]
[Captain]
Then load the guns.
[Dubstep breakdown – crushing slow bass drops, organ roaring]
[Crew – rhythmic shanty chant]
LOAD!
AIM!
ROLL THAT IRON!
LOAD!
AIM!
SEND ’EM HOME!
No crown!
No chain!
No king commands the sea!
No crown!
No chain!
THE BLACK FLAG SAILS FREE!
[Final Chorus – massive gang vocals]
EVERY CROWN WANTS US DEAD!
EVERY KING WANTS OUR HEADS!
Let their wanted posters spread,
Let ’em curse the name they dread!
Bring your armies!
Bring your fleets!
We’ll send your finest to the deep!
We walked through death!
We sailed through hell!
And we’re still here to fucking tell!
EVERY CROWN WANTS US DEAD!
[Captain – shouted]
THEN COME FUCKING GET US!
[Crew]
COME FUCKING GET US!
[Final bass drop]
[Outro – slow organ and blues guitar]
[Captain – gravelly, amused]
Raise the bounty, boys…
Maybe they’ll finally send
someone worth killing.
[Crew – distant laughter]
HA… HA… HA…
[Organ fades]