Pirate ballad from the 19th century based on true facts. There is a traditional English version, and later American ones.
lyrics
There were two lofty ships from old England came,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
One was the Prince of Luther, and the other, Prince of Wales,
Cruising down the coast of High Barbaree.
“A-loft there, a-loft!” our jolly boatswain cried,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“Look a-head, look a-stern, look a-weather, look a-lee,
Looking down the coast of High Barbaree”.
“There’s naught upon the stern, there is naught upon the lee.”
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
“But there’s a lofty ship to windward, a sailing fast and free
Sailing down along the coast of High Barbaree.”
Oh, hail her, o hail her our gallant captain cried,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we,
Are you a man of war or a privateer said he,
Cruising down the coast of High Barbaree.
I’m not a man-o-war, nor a privateer,” said he,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we:
“But I am a salt-sea pirate, a-lookin’ for my fee
Looking down the coast of High Barbaree.”
‘Twas broadside and broadside a long time we lay,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we:
Until the Prince of Luther shot the pirate’s masts away,
Cruising down the coast of High Barbaree.
“Oh, quarter, oh quarter,” those pirates did cry,
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we;
But the quarter that we gave them – we sunk them in the sea,
Down along the coast of High Barbaree.
I have recorded 16 albums of less known or forgotten traditional Croatian folk songs released by different labels as
compact discs, 3 of which are on BC. Here you can also find my recordings of folk songs from some other countries I have lived in (free download), some live concerts from the past (free download), and my singer-songwriter album Love Li(v)es....more
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