Traditional
There were three brothers in merry Scotland
In merry Scotland there were three, aye
And they did cast lots which of them should go
Should go, should go, should go, aye
And to turn robber all on the salt sea
To turn pirate all on the salt sea.
The lot of it fell first to Henry Martin
The younger of all the three, aye
That he should turn robber all on the salt sea
Salt sea, salt sea, salty sea, aye
For to maintain his two brothers and he
To maintain his two brothers and he.
He had not been sailing but a long winter's night
And part of a short winter's day, aye
When he spied a stout lofty ship
Lofty ship, lofty ship, lofty ship, aye
Come abibbing down on him straight away
Come abibbing down on him straight away.
'Hello, hello' - cried Henry Martin
'What makes you sail so nigh ? aye'
'I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair London town'
'London town, London town, London town, aye'
'And will you not please for to let me pass by ?'
'Won't you please for to let me pass by ?'
'Oh no, oh no' - cried Henry Martin
'This thing it never can be, aye'
'For I have turned pirate all on the salt sea'
'Salt sea, salt sea, salty sea, aye'
'For to maintain my two brothers and me'
'To maintain my two brothers and me'
Come lower your top sail and slacken your mizzen
And bring your ship under our lee, aye
Or we will give to you a full cannon ball
Cannon ball, cannon ball, cannon ball, aye
And all your merry men drown in the sea
All your merry men drown in the sea.
We won't lower our top sail nor slacken our mizzen
Nor bring our ship under your lee
And you won't give to us your full cannon ball
Cannon ball, cannon ball, cannon ball, aye
Nor all our merry men drown in the sea
All our merry men drown in the sea.
Then up him and at him and at him he went
For fully two hours or three, aye
Till Henry Martin gave to them the death shot
The death shot, aye
And all their merry men drowned in the sea
All their merry men drowned in the sea.
Sad news, sad news to old England came
Sad news to fair London town, aye
There's been a rich vessel and she's cast away
Cast away, cast away, cast away, aye
And all her merry men drowned in the sea
All her merry men drowned in the sea
All her merry men drowned in the sea
All her merry men drowned in the sea.
