Come all ye jolly mariners
That love to take a dram
Let's go and seek for Captain Ward
Who over the seas has come
He is the greatest robber
As you shall quickly hear
There's not been such a robber found
The last six hundred years
The King he got a letter
On the sixth of January
Saying – Let bold Captain Ward come in
With all his company
If that you do let him in
Until his tale is told
For ransom he will offer you
A twenty tons of gold
No, no – says the King
That can never be
Captain Ward is a roober
A robber on the sea
Well, the King he has provided
A ship of noble fame
Called the Royal Rainbow
If you would know her name
She was as well provided for
As any ship could be
Full five hundred men on board
To bear her company
When the Royal Rainbow came
Where Captain Ward did lie
Who is the master of this ship
The Rainbow's crew did cry
The same am I – says Captain Ward
Why, ashamed I never will be
If you were the King's fair ship
You're welcome unto me
No, no – says the King
That can never be
Captain Ward is a roober
A robber on the sea
For I never robbed an English ship
Just France's ships or Spain's
Likewise the blackguard Dutchman
That met upon the main
Had I got a letter through
This two weeks past, or three
I would've spared Lord Essex's life
This pains me grievously
Six o' clock in the morning
They began to fight
So they did continue
Till nine o' clock at night
Fight on, fight on – says Captain Ward
So well it pleases me
If you fight a month or more
Your master I will be
Then the Royal Rainbow
She fired on in vain
Till full four hundred of her crew
Upon the decks lay slain
Go home, go home – says Captain Ward
And tell your King from me
He may rule King o'er all the land
But Ward's the King on sea
No, no – says the King
That can never be
Captain Ward is a roober
A robber on the sea