[Lyric] William Hollander (Robbie OConnell)

My name is William Hollander
As you may understand
I was born in the County of Waterford
In Erin's lovely land
When I was young and in me prime
And health did on me smile
My parents raised me tenderly
I being their only child

My father bound me to a trade
In Waterford's fair town
He bound me to a cooper
By the name of William Brown
I served my master faithfully
For eighteen months and more
Til I shipped aboard The Ocean Queen
Belonging to Tramore

And when we reached Bеrmuda
I fell in with a Captain Moore
The skippеr of the Flying Cloud
From out of Baltimore
He asked me if I'd sail with him
On a slaving voyage to go
To the burning shores of Africa
Where the sugar cane does grow
And after weeks of sailing
We arrived on Africa's shore
Five hundred of those slaves we buys
From their native [?], we tore
We marched them all along the deck
And stowed them down below
Scarce eighteen inches to a man
Was all they had to go

But the plague and fever came on board
And took half of them away
We carried their bodies up on deck
And threw them in the sea
Far better for the rest of them
If they had died below
Than neath the planter's bully boys
All along the Cuban shore

Oh, we robbed and we plundered many a ship
All down the Spanish Main
Left many a widow and orphan child
In sorrow to remain
We fought till captain Moore was killed
With eighty of his men
An chain-shot brought our mainmast down
And we had to surrender then
It's next to Newgate we were brought
All bound in iron chains
For the sinking and plundering of many a ship
All along the Spanish Main
The judge, he found me guilty
I was condemned to die
So, young men a warning take by me
Lead not such a life as I

So, it's fare ye well, to Waterford
And the girl that I adore
No more I'll kiss her lips again
Or squeeze her breasts once more
Was whiskey and bad company
That made a wretch of me
So, come all young men, the warning take
And shun the piracy