It was late at night on the open road,
Speeding like a man on the run,
A lifetime spent preparing for the journey;

He is closer now and the search is on,
Reading from a map in the mind,
Yes, there's the ragged hill,
And there's the boat on the river,

And when the rain came down,
He heard a wild dog howl
There were voices in the night - "Don't do it!"
Voices out of sight - "Don't do it!
"Too many men have failed before;
Whatever you do:

Don't pay the ferryman;
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman;
Until he gets you to the other side!"

In the rolling mist, then he gets on board,
Now there'll be no turning back,
Beware that hooded old man at the rudder
And then the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared,
And people calling out his name,
And dancing bones that jabbered and a-moaned on the water;

And then the ferryman said,
"There is trouble ahead,
So you must pay me now," - "Don't do it!"
"You must pay me now," - "Don't do it!"
And still that voice came from beyond,
"Whatever you do:

Don't pay the ferryman;
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman;
Until he gets you to the other side!"

(Musical interlude)

"Don't pay the ferryman;
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman;
Until he gets you to the other side!"
(Repeat twice more without a break)

"Don't pay (hold for seven beats) the ferryman!"