Take heed by me ye smugglers,
I say take heed by me!
While you ply your angry trade
Ye villains of the sea,
You'll drink strong rum and porter,
You'll dine on roast wild pig.
But if the admiralty catches you
You'll dance the Hempen Jig!

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
If the admiralty catches you you'll dance the hempen jig!

O, once I was simple lad,
And lived at home at ease.
But now I am a pirate bold
And plough the angry seas!
I thought I'd like seafaring life,
My rum and ale I'd swig.
But now, its true, I live in fear
Of dancin' the hempen jig!

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
If they find out the trouble we've caused they'll throw us in the brig
And when the morning comes (hey!) our punishment will be big
If the admirality catches us we'll dance the hempin jig

Old Johnny was a Tinkers son
Who came from County Kerry.
A sailor's friend and fan of rum
He kept us all quite merry.
On leave one night he got too drunk,
They threw him in the brig.
And when they learned he sailed with us,
He danced the hempen jig!

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
And when they learned he sailed with us,he danced the hempen jig!

My love she was no foolish girl,
Her age was but a score.
My love was not a spinster,
She'd been married twice before.
A thief herself she dressed the part
A mans hat and coat and wig,
But she got caught a-plundering
And danced the hempen jig!

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
If they find out the trouble we've caused they'll throw us in the brig
And when the morning comes (hey!) our punishment will be big
If the admirality catches us we'll dance the hempin jig

Our vessel it was homeward bound
In our hold our loot and store.
And many a golden bauble,
Upon myself I wore.
There were rings of gold with big fat gems
And spices like thyme and fig,
We got them all illegally
And risk the hempen jig!

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
If they find out the trouble we've caused they'll throw us in the brig
And when the morning comes (hey!) our punishment will be big
If the admirality catches us we'll dance the hempin jig

And you'll dance the hempen jig me boy, you'll dance the hempen jig!
If they find out the trouble we've caused they'll throw us in the brig
And when the morning comes (hye!) our punishment will be big
If the admirality catches us we'll dance the hempin jig