Hoist The Colours
Composed for the film: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End released in 2007. Lyrics by
Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, tune by Hans Zimmer and Gore Verbinski.
Tells the tale of the binding of Calypso by the Pirate King and the First Brethren Court. It
was also used as the method of summoning the Court to stand together in the pirates’ most dire
need. It was sent forth by Hector Barbossa, who intended to unite the Pirate Lords and release
Calypso from her form of flesh.
The King and his men stole the queen from her bed
and bound her in her bones
The seas be ours and by the powers
Where we will…we’ll roam
Yo ho all hands, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
Now some have died and some are alive and others sail on the sea
With the keys to the cage and the devil to pay
We lay to Fiddler’s Green!
Chorus 1 <quiet, subtle harmony>
Yo Ho all hands, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
Chorus 2 <louder, more harmony>
Yo ho all together, hoist the colours high
Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die
The bell has been raised from its watery grave
Do you hear its sepulchral tone?
A Call to all pay heed the squall
And turn your sail towards home!
Chorus 1 <quiet, unison>
Chorus 2 <loud, full harmony, rising harmony on ‘shall’ then stop>
We die!
