Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest Lyrics - A Song About Pirates Life and Death!

Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest Song

Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest or Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum) is a traditional sea shanty popularized in literature and film. The song’s origins trace back to Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island, where it features prominently. Its lyrics narrate the grim fate of pirates stranded on a desert island, with the "dead man's chest" symbolizing their dire situation.

The chorus of the song, which emphasizes rum as a central theme, reflects the pirates' rough and carefree lifestyle. In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the song is performed by Joshamee Gibbs aboard the Black Pearl, enhancing the film’s atmospheric tension. Gibbs’ rendition, with its deep, resonant voice and rum bottle in hand, underscores the song's connection to pirate lore and the allure of maritime adventure. The song remains an iconic piece of pirate culture, embodying the rugged and rebellious spirit of seafaring rogues.

Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest Lyrics

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done be the rest
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike,
The bosun brained with a marlinspike
And cookey's throat was marked belike
It had been gripped by fingers ten;
And there they lay, all good dead men
Like break o'day in a boozing ken—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Fifteen men of the whole ship's list—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion's axe in his cheek had shore—
And the scullion he was stabbed times four.
And there they lay, and the soggy skies
Dripped all day long in up-staring eyes—
At murk sunset and at foul sunrise—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Fifteen men of 'em stiff and stark—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Ten of the crew had the murder mark
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
There was cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead,
Or a yawing hole in a battered head—
And the scuppers' glut with a rotting red—
And there they lay—aye, damn my eyes!—
All lookouts clapped on paradise—
All souls bound just contrarywise—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Fifteen men of 'em good and true—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Ev'ry man jack could ha' sailed with Old Pew—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
There was chest on chest of Spanish gold,
With a ton of plate in the middle hold,
And the cabins riot of stuff untold.
And they lay there that took the plum,
With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb,
While we shared all by the rule of thumb—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

More was seen through a sternlight screen—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Chartings undoubt where a woman had been!
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
'Twas a flimsy shift on a bunker cot,
With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot
And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot,
Oh was she wench or some shudderin' maid
That dared the knife and took the blade!
By God! she had stuff for a plucky jade—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest—
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
We wrapped 'em all in a mains'l tight,
With twice ten turns of a hawser's bight,
And we heaved 'em over and out of sight—
With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well!
And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell
Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell!
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest Song Meaning

The song "Fifteen Men on the Dead Man's Chest," often known as "Dead Man's Chest," is a sea shanty about a group of pirates who meet a grim fate. The song describes the deaths of fifteen pirates. They are all dead, killed in violent and gruesome ways.

The chorus emphasizes "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum," celebrating their rough pirate lifestyle and the use of rum as a comfort in their dire situation. It details how the pirates were killed with various weapons and how their bodies were left in a state of decay.

Despite their gruesome end, the pirates had a lot of treasure, including gold and valuable items, which are mentioned in the song. The song also hints at the mysterious death of a woman on the ship, adding to the sense of chaos and violence.

Finally, the song describes how the dead pirates were wrapped in sailcloth and thrown overboard, sent to the depths of the sea as a final farewell. The song paints a dark picture of pirate life and death, mixing celebration of their rebellious nature with the grim reality of their fate.

Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest Overview