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Don’t Pay the Ferryman Lyrics by Chris De Burgh

Lady in Red: The Collection

1982

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 that ragged hill and there's a 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
[Chorus]
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
[Chorus]
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
Credits
Chris De Burgh

Chris De Burgh

About “Don’t Pay the Ferryman” by Chris De Burgh

Read the complete lyrics to "Don’t Pay the Ferryman" by Chris De Burgh from the album "Lady in Red: The Collection" in 1982. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Don’t Pay the Ferryman" is performed by Chris De Burgh. from the album "Lady in Red: The Collection" in 1982 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Don’t Pay the Ferryman", explore more songs by Chris De Burgh using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Don’t Pay the Ferryman" is credited to Chris De Burgh. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Don’t Pay the Ferryman" appears on "Lady in Red: The Collection" in 1982.

Visit the Chris De Burgh artist page at /artist/chris-de-burgh for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.