When I returned from
The Isle of Celyon
A hell, it burst between my ears
In a Sussex gutter
I resolved to die
To leave this world in gin and tears

God showed me mercy
He showed me love
When he sent her to my side
Cast out from my fellows
But in her warm hands
I found faith, and I found my pride

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

This pain in my heart
It will not subside
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

I was set to righteous labor
And my arms did ache
But I hoped that it would never end
With all those who had fallen
I had found my kin
With new strength I began again

My sweet angel of a captain
Held a burning sword
Her anger stoked by suffering
We marched to smash the gin mills
Steel in our hearts
And we made some bitter enemies

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

This pain in my heart
It will not subside
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

In the daylight they could never
Take us down
The cowards waited cold by night
They slithered through the shadows
With oil and rags
To set our citadel to firelight

I have see so much battle
Of shells and blood
But I had never seen a sight so cruel
With weapons at the ready
And a flag of black
They robbed us of our brightest jewel

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

This pain in my heart
It will not subside
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

So many our hands buried
We grieved them all
Graves we gave them all in time
She would have forgiveness
In prayer and love
That no longer was a skill of mine

I had many teachers
From here to the Raj
With my learning I would see them dead
This bottle-brittle army
They have made me new
The Wrath of God now on their heads

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

This pain in my heart
It will not subside
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

With calls of ‘blood and thunder!’
They sang and cried
Drunken, as I used to be
My eyes, they were sharpened
And my heart was hard
Machinations they would never see

The tar began to flow
And the bombs they rang
They lit like candles by the moon
I gave them blood and fire
And they burned in droves
On their way to God’s eternal doom

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

This pain in my heart
It will not subside
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

The rope it is above me
I hear them call
I walk the steps to gallows high
My heart, it is peaceful
God’s judgement, just
In this I know I can abide

Wrap it tight my fellows
Let the trapdoor spring
I know right to where my soul will go
I am a soldier of salvation
My captain’s man
So come and strike the final blow

Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!
Rise!
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!

Joy is in my heart
I can go with a smile
Captain Ellie, oh! She made me rise!