Gentlemen, you now see me rinsing your glasses,
and iand'll make a fresh bed up for you,
and youand'll tip me a few pennies, and iand'll thank you very well,
and you see me dressed in tatters, in this tatty old hotel,
and you cannot tell who stands before you.
and you cannot tell who stands before you.
but one of these evenings thereand'll be shrieks in the harbor,
and theyand'll ask: who the hell would shriek like that?
and theyand'll see me give a smile across my glasses,
and theyand'll say: whatand's she got to smile about?
and a ship with eight sails
and its fifty guns loaded
will tie up at dusk.
They say: get on with your glasses, my dear,
as they fish out a penny for me.
and their penny is accepted and their bed is tucked up tight,
although nobody will get much chance of sleeping tonight.
and they still canand't tell who i might be.
and they still canand't tell who i might be.
but one of these evenings thereand'll be explosions in the harbor,
and theyand'll ask whatand's that bloody awful din?
and theyand'll see me as i gaze out of the window,
and theyand'll say: whatand's caused that vicious grin?
and the ship with eight sails
and its fifty guns loaded
will lay siege to the town.
Gentlemen, youand'll find that your laughs are cut short,
for the walls will be knocked down flat,
and the town will be quickly razed to the ground.
just one tatty old hotel will be left standing safe and sound.
and theyand'll ask: does someone special live in that?
and theyand'll ask: does someone special live in that?
then thereand'll be a lot of people milling round the hotel,
asking what made them leave the place alone.
and theyand'll see me leave the building the next morning,
and theyand'll say: donand't tell us sheand's the one.
and the ship with eight sails
and its fifty guns loaded
will run up its flag.
And a hundred men will land in the bright noonday sun,
each treading where the shadows cloak him.
theyand'll look inside each doorway and seize anyone they see,
and throw him in irons and present him to me,
and say: give us the word, and weand'll croak him.
and say: give us the word, and weand'll croak him.
in that noonday heat thereand'll be a hush and'round the harbor,
as they ask which i want to die.
and then theyand'll hear me quietly answer: the lot!
and as the first head rolls iand'll say: hop-la!
and the ship with eight sails
and its fifty guns loaded
will sail off with me.
