The Ballad Of The Flying D      
	Clif Flynt  Copyright 1979

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When the wind blows cold on a cloudy morning,
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And it's whipping the waves to a foam.
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You know by noon it'll be a storming,
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And it's a long way home.
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It's a long way home,
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Aye, It's such a long way home.
 
Now, the Flying D was a mighty fine vessel,
And her captain as good as her crew.
But to get through that storm he made a pact with the devil.
He had to find him a girl who'd be true.
Find a girl who'd be true,
Aye, he had to find him a woman what's true.
 
For said the devil "Take a wife who will always be faithful
I'll protect you wherever you roam.
But ever it prove she should be ungrateful,
Well, you'll never go home.
No, you'll never go home.
No, You'll never, never, ne'er see your home."
 
Now he searched through the wharves where the seamen gather,
And he searched through the heights of the town.
He searched while the wind whipped the waves to a lather,
And at last such a woman he found.
Such a woman he found,
Aye, such a girl he had found.
 
Now he made her rich with the wages he'd earned,
By noontime the captain was wed.
And they stood on the shore as the ebb tide turned,
And "be faithful" was all that he said.
"Be faithful" was all that he said.
Aye, "Don't betray me" was all that he said.
 
And he stood at the wheel as his ship left the harbor,
Just a fourth of her canvas a'showin'.
With the swell running stiff and she listed to starboard,
And a cold north wind it was blowin'.
And the cold north wind it was blowin'.
And the cold, cold wind it kept blowin'.
 
Now, three days out and it still was a stormin'
The captain he said to the crew.
"Put up full canvas, if we're still here by mornin'
Then we'll know what the devil can do.
And we'll all give the devil his due.
Aye, we'll know what the devil can do.
  
Now the devil was handsome, and the devil was fair,
And the devil was soft in his speech
He said, "Pretty wife, how you stand there and stare.
What makes you think there'll be a man in your reach.
That there'll ever be a man in your reach.
You may die without a man in your reach."
 
"For you're spending all day with your walking and strolling
On a bridge looking over the sea.
Your husband may be 'neath the sea waves a'rolling,
Now, come spend an evening with me.
Come spend an evening with me.
And I'll spend an evening with thee."
 
Then a gust from the west ripped the mainsail to tatters,
And a gust from the east snapped the mast.
The captain grabbed a line from the shreds and the tatters,
To the wheel he tied himself fast.
To the wheel he tied himself fast,
Aye, to that wheel he had to be lashed.
 
And he stayed at the wheel as the waves and the blowing
Forced all of his men down below.
HE felt the waves crash, and he felt the wind going,
And the last of the canvas let go,
And the last of the riggings let go,
And the last living sail went below.
 
Now, the blowing all stopped when the last of their canvas
Was ripped into tatters and shreds.
And the captain, he said, "Now we better give thanks 
For you know that we all should be dead.
Every last living one should be dead.
Every last mothers son should be dead.
 
But without any canvas to make into sails
There was nothing to catch at the breeze.
And the captain did cry as his crewmen all died
From the hunger and thirst and disease.
From the hunger and thirst and disease,
Aye, there was hunger and thirst and disease.
  
Oh, how he cried as each crewman did die,
Each called to his last, final home.
And that vessel still sails, and the captain still wails,
For you know that he'll never go home,
Yes you know that he'll never go home,
Aye, he knows he will never see home.