Pirate Jenny

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