His exile was now almost up
Pockets were teeming with spare change
And his mind was eating it up

He''d savored the peace that he''d had, but
Now he scans the horizon
Waiting for this storm to pass
Always waiting in silence
Just biding his time

And happened on a young lady
Up from the depths of despair
She spoke with a twist on her tongue
And a marvelous look in her eye

She''s said "Think before the next time
You take yourself out onto the sea
And go dancing with that grand old man
Sometimes he plays very gently
But he''s just biding his time"

Into the harbor
Came once a clipper ship
Sails torn and listing severe
When [tide it had slipped]
The rats jumped ship
As if they had something to fear

The captain it seems, was buried at sea
His madess had taken its toll
The crew headed into the bars of the town
To drink away all of their cares
They had waited for this day for years

One tiny bottle that floats on the sea
Serves as a warning for those who might dream
For those who pursue their obsessions
The wind carries in it the screams
Of the journeyman lost on the ocean

Teased by a beauty who rose from the waves
A rebirth, a watery grave
Down in the depths she savors her prize
She''s just biding her time