"The Ballad of Captain Kidd" (or simply, "Captain Kidd") is an English song about Captain William Kidd, who was executed for piracy in London on May 23, 1701. It is listed as number 1900 in the Roud Folk Song Index.
The song was printed in Britain in 1701, and it traveled to the colonies "almost immediately".
Washington Irving's 1824 work Tales of a Traveller makes mention of the song:
The song survived in the oral tradition long enough for it to be recorded from traditional singers. Bob Roberts of Dorset, England was recorded singing the song by Peter Kennedy in 1960, whilst Helen Creighton, Edith Fowke and Helen Hartness Flanders recorded several versions in Canada and New England.
The rhyme structure has been used in many folk songs including Ye Jacobites by Name, My Love's in Germany, "What Wondrous Love Is This" "Sam Hall" and Davy Lowston https://www.walkertradtrust.co.nz/traditional-music-library/davy-lowston.
The song was reportedly a childhood favorite of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith.
In 1830, the song was included in a book of Methodist camp meeting hymns, "New and Improved Camp Meeting Hymn Book," retitled as "How Precious is the Name" and featuring new lyrics.
The song was adapted for the TV science fiction series The Expanse as "The Ballad of Captain Ashford", a song the character Klaes Ashford (played by David Strathairn) sings bits of throughout the fourth season.
The melody is part of the soundtrack for the TV show Black Sails.
It's a shantie in the 2013 video game Assassin's Creed âÂÂBlack FlagâÂÂ, sung by protagonist Edward Kenway's Crew