With a skull on its masthead, will be comin' in
And the ship, the black freighter
Askin me, "Kill them now or later?"
Nobody, nobody
You can hear a foghorn miles away
Now, you gentlemen can wipe off that smile off your face
'Coz there's nobody gonna sleep here tonight
Askin me, "Kill them now or later?"
Yes, that's what you say
There's a ship, the black freighter
"Why do they spare that one?"
And I'll say, "That'll learn ya"
And you see me kinda grinnin', while I'm scrubbin'
And you see me steppin' out in the mornin'
Get upstairs, what's wrong with you? Earn your keep here”
Then they'll pile up the bodies
Runs a flag up its masthead
Lookin' nice with a ribbon in my hair
But I'm countin' your heads as I'm makin' the beds
Comin' out from the ghostly freighter
I'll say, "Right now, right now"
This whole frickin' place will be down to the ground
They move in the shadows, where no one can see
There's a ship, the black freighter
No, you couldn't ever guess to who you're talkin'
But you'll never guess to who you're talkin'
And you say, "What's she got to stare at now?"
And you'll wonder who could that have been
All the night through, through the noise and to do
Only this cheap hotel standin' up safe and sound
And you say, "What she got to grin? "
And they're chainin' up people and they're bringin' 'em to me
And ya see me kinda starin' out the window
Maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell
Noon by the clock and so still at the dock
Then one night there's a scream in the night
Nobody's gonna sleep here, honey
Then one night there's a scream in the night
I'll tell ya
You wonder, “Who is that person that lives up there?”
And a cheer rings the air
And in that quiet of death
'Coz every building in town is a flat one
By noontime the dock is a swarmin' with men
You gentlemen can say, "Hey gal, finish them floors
You toss me your tips and look out to the ships
I'll tell you
And the ship, The black freighter
Turns around in the harbor
And you say, "Who's that kickin' up a row?"
Shootin' guns from her bow
In this crummy southern town, in this crummy old hotel
And you yell, "Why do they spare that one?"
