The Pirates- Housley (OH- PA) pre1939 Eddy A
[From Ballads and Songs from Ohio, Eddy, 1939. This version is considerably older than 1939 but not enough info is given to determine the age. Eddy comments: Mrs. Housley was 91 when she sang this ballad for her son, Rev. Edwin L. Housley, and his wife to record. The above version is as she sang it in her early home in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania.
R. Matteson 2013]
A. THE PIRATES
From Mrs. Anna E. Housley, Canton, Ohio
1. Down in old England there lived three brothers,
Three, oh three kind brothers--
They were casting lots to see which of them
Should plunder all o'er the salt sea, salt sea,
They were casting lots to see which of them
Should plunder all o'er the salt sea.
2. The lot it fell upon Henry Martin,
The youngest brother of three;
They rig-ged him up, both gallant and stout,
To plunder all o'er the salt sea, salt sea,
They rig-ged him up both gallant and stout
To plunder all o'er the salt sea.
3. Away, away sailed Henry Martin,
Away, away sailed he;
For six weeks or more he plowed o'er the blue ocean
Before that a vessel he see, he see,
For six weeks or more he plowed o'er the blue ocean
Before that a vessel he see.
4. Early one morning he mounted on cabin,
With spy-glass for to see,
And there he espied topsail of a ship
Come sailing down under his lee, his lee,
And there he espied topsail of a ship
Come sailing down under his lee.
5. "Oh, who comes there?" cried Henry Martin,
"Oh, who dare sail so nigh?"
"She's a rich merchant's ship, for fair London she's bound,
Won't you please for to let her pass by, pass by,
She's a rich merchant's ship, for fair London she's bound,
Won't you please for to let her pass by?"
6. "Oh, no, oh, no," cried Henry Martin,
"There's no such thing can be,
Since I've took to robbing all o'er the blue ocean
To support my two brothers and me, and me,
Since I've took to robbing all o'er the blue ocean
To support my two brothers and me.
7. "So lower down your topsail mast,
And sail down under our lee,
Or I'll take from you your rich goods and gold,
And your bodies I'll give to the sea, the sea,
Or I'll take from you your rich goods and gold,
And your bodies I'll give to the sea."
8. "We won't lower down our topsail mast,
Nor will we sail under your lee,
But here we will fight for our rich goods and gold;
Our bodies we'll save from the sea, the sea,
But here we will fight for our rich goods and gold;
Our bodies we'll save from the sea."
9. From broadside to broadside these vessels did fire
For one long hour or more;
At length Henry Martin gave her the death wound,
And down to the bottom she bore, she bore,
At length Henry Martin gave her the death wound,
And down to the bottom she bore.
10. "Bad news! Bad news!" cried Henry Martin,
"Bad news I bring unto thee,
I've taken from you your rich goods and gold,
Your bodies I've given to the sea, the sea,
I've taken from you your rich goods and gold,
Your bodies I've given to the sea."