Intro
| C | % |
[Verse 1]
C
I was riding on the Mayflower
C
When I thought I spied some land
C
I yelled for Captain Arab
C
I have yuh understand
F
Who came running to the deck
F
Said, “Boys, forget the whale
C
Look on over yonder
C
Cut the engines, change the sail
G
Haul on the bowline”
G
We sang that melody
C
Like all tough sailors do
C | C | % | % | % |
When they are far away at sea
[Verse 2]
C
“I think I’ll call it America”
C
I said as we hit land
C
I took a deep breath
C
I fell down, I could not stand
F
Captain Arab he started
F
Writing up some deeds
C
He said, “Let’s set up a fort
C
And start buying the place with beads”
G
Just then this cop comes down the street
G
Crazy as a loon
C
He throws us all in jail
C | C | % | % | % |
For carryin’ harpoons
[Verse 3]
C
Ah me I busted out
C
Don’t even ask me how
C
I went to get some help
C
I walked by a Guernsey cow
F
Who directed me down
F
To the Bowery slums
C
Where people carried signs around
C
Saying, “Ban the bums”
G
I jumped right into line
G
Sayin’, “I hope that I’m not late”
C
When I realized I hadn’t eaten
C | C | % | % | % |
For five days straight
[Verse 4]
C
I went into a restaurant
C
Lookin’ for the cook
C
I told them I was the editor
C
Of a famous etiquette book
F
The waitress he was handsome
F
He wore a powder blue cape
C
I ordered some suzette, I said
C
“Could you please make that crepe”
G
Just then the whole kitchen exploded
G
From boilin’ fat
C
Food was flying everywhere
C | C | % | % | % |
And I left without my hat
[Verse 5]
C
Now, I didn’t mean to be nosy
C
But I went into a bank
C
To get some bail for Arab
C
And all the boys back in the tank
F
They asked me for some collateral
F
And I pulled down my pants
C
They threw me in the alley
C
When up comes this girl from France
G
Who invited me to her house
G
I went, but she had a friend
C
Who knocked me out and robbed my boots
C | C | % | % | % |
And I was on the street again
[Verse 6]
C
Well, I rapped upon a house
C
With the U.S. flag upon display
C
I said, “Could you help me out
C
I got some friends down the way”
F
The man says, “Get out of here
F
I’ll tear you limb from limb”
C
I said, “You know they refused Jesus, too”
C
He said, “You’re not Him
G
Get out of here before I break your bones
G
I ain’t your pop”
C
I decided to have him arrested
C
And I went looking for a cop
[Interlude]
| C | % | % | % |
(harmonica)
| C | % | % | % |
(harmonica)
[Verse 7]
C
I ran right outside
C
And I hopped inside a cab
C
I went out the other door
C
This Englishman said, “Fab”
F
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand
F
And a chariot that stood
C
Parked across from a building
C
Advertising brotherhood
G
I ran right through the front door
G
Like a hobo sailor does
C
But it was just a funeral parlor
C | C | % | % | % |
And the man asked me who I was
[Verse 8]
C
I repeated that my friends
C
Were all in jail, with a sigh
C
He gave me his card
C
He said, “Call me if they die”
F
I shook his hand and said goodbye
F
Ran out to the street
C
When a bowling ball came down the road
C
And knocked me off my feet
G
D pay phone was ringing
G
It just about blew my mind
C
When I picked it up and said hello
C | C | % | % | % |
This foot came through the line
[Verse 9]
C
Well, by this time I was fed up
C
At tryin’ to make a stab
C
At bringin’ back any help
C
For my friends and Captain Arab
F
I decided to flip a coin
F
Like either heads or tails
C
Would let me know if I should go
C
Back to ship or back to jail
G
So I hocked my sailor suit
G
And I got a coin to flip
C
It came up tails, it rhymed with sails
C | C | % | % | % |
So I made it back to the ship
[Verse 10]
C
Well, I got back and took
C
The parkin’ ticket off the mast
C
I was ripping it to shreds
C
When this coastguard boat went past
F
They asked me my name
F
And I said, “Captain Kidd”
C
They believed me but
C
They wanted to know
C
What exactly that I did
G G
I said for the Pope of Eruke I was employed
C
They let me go right away
C
They were very paranoid
[Interlude]
| C | % | % | % | % |
(harmonica)
[Verse 11]
C
Well, the last I heard of Arab
C
He was stuck on a whale
C
That was married to the deputy
C
Sheriff of the jail
F
But the funniest thing was
F
When I was leavin’ the bay
C
I saw three ships a-sailin’
C
They were all heading my way
G
I asked the captain what his name was
G
And how come he didn’t drive a truck
C
He said his name was Columbus
C
I just said, “Good luck”
[Outro]
| C | % | % | % |
(harmonica, repeat and fade)