The Quartermaster’s Map

[Intro]
[Verse]
The salt is thick upon the rail
We hoist the heavy, tattered sail
The quartermaster’s ghost is near
His gravel voice is all I hear
He knew the tides like his own hand
Far better than the solid land
[Pre-Chorus]
The naval bell begins to chime
We’re stepping back in stolen time
The djembe beats against the wood
We stand where once our brother stood
[Chorus]
Oh, sing for the coves he found
Where the silver waters bound
He drew the lines in charcoal black
To lead us there and lead us back
The wake is glowing neon blue
A light for me and light for you
The stars are bright on the cliffside height
We’ll find his secret coves tonight
[Post-Chorus]
Heave away, the tide is high
Write his name across the sky
Heave away, the wind is cold
Carry on the tales he told
[Verse]
I find his maps beneath the floor
Tucked beside the galley door
Stained with rum and crusted brine
Every curve a jagged line
He found the holes within the mist
The jagged rocks the water kissed
He left a path for us to keep
While he is resting in the deep
[Pre-Chorus]
The foghorn moans a lonely low
Through the dark we choose to go
The bandoneón begins to weep
For promises we mean to keep
[Chorus]
Oh, sing for the coves he found
Where the silver waters bound
He drew the lines in charcoal black
To lead us there and lead us back
The wake is glowing neon blue
A light for me and light for you
The stars are bright on the cliffside height
We’ll find his secret coves tonight
[Bridge]
We watched the moon from the cliffside edge
A silent vow, a holy pledge
The violin plays a mourning song
To help our heavy hearts along
The empty bunk, the quiet coat
The finest soul to ever float
[Chorus]
Oh, sing for the coves he found
Where the silver waters bound
He drew the lines in charcoal black
To lead us there and lead us back
The wake is glowing neon blue
A light for me and light for you
The stars are bright on the cliffside height
We’ll find his secret coves tonight
[Outro]