Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Malvina Reynolds
Canonical path: /malvina-reynolds/the-albatross
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
The Albatross
Read The Albatross lyrics by Malvina Reynolds on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
The Albatross
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It is an ancient mariner
Who stoppeth one of three.
He killed the blessed albatross
When he was out to sea,
And the guilt it hangs about his neck,
The same as you and me,
Poor old sailor
Who shot the gentle bird.
I don't know why he shot him,
The silly gooney duck,
But if you shoot an albatross
You sure are out of luck,
For forever, ever, after
It will hang around your neck.
Poor old sailor
Who shot the gentle bird.
I also wear the albatross,
The bird of guilt I bear,
I shafted my best buddy
In a moment of despair,
And the guilt is always with me
In my dreams and everywhere.
Poor old sailor
Who shot the gentle bird.
Yet those that kill their thousands
With napalm in the street,
They live a good respected life
And sleep an easy sleep,
And they'd never shoot an albatross,
It isn't good to eat.
Poor old sailor,
Who shot the gentle bird.
So never kill a gooney bird
Or knife your loving kin,
And never burn a single soul,
Be sure it's more than ten,
And never do a stick-up
But gouge the world of men,
And leave bad dreams to sailors
Who kill the gentle bird.
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Who performs "The Albatross"?
Malvina Reynolds performs "The Albatross", and this lyric page sits inside the Malvina Reynolds catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Albatross"?
Yes. The related section below points to I've Got a Song and A Short History of Warfare with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Malvina Reynolds?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Malvina Reynolds's lyric pages.
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