Mother, mother ocean,

I have heard you call,

Wanted to sail upon your waters

since I was three feet tall. You've seen it all,

You've seen it all.



Watched the men who rode you,

Switch from sails to steam.

And in your belly you hold the treasure

That few have ever seen, Most of them dreams,

Most of them dreams.



Yes, I am a pirate

Two hundred years too late.

The cannons don't thunder there's nothin' to plunder

I'm an over forty victim of fate; arriving too late

Arriving too late.



I've done a bit of smugglin'

I've run my share of grass.

I made enough money to buy Miami,

But I pissed it away so fast, Never meant to last,

Never meant to last.



I have been drunk now for over two weeks,

I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks,

but I've got to stop wishin', got to go fishin'

I'm down to rock bottom again. Just a few friends,

Just a few friends.



(Instrumental)



I go for younger women,

Lived with several awhile,

And though I ran away, They'll come back one day.

And still I can manage a smile

It just takes awhile, just takes awhile.



Mother mother ocean,

after all these years I've found

My occupational hazard being

my occupation's just not around

I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown.



from: The Songs of Jimmy Buffett, 1978