A Foc’sle Song dating to roughly
the 18th Century.
“Look ahead, look astern, look a-weather and
a-lee,”
Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we
I see a wreck to windward and a lofty ship to lee
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High Bar-ba-ree.
“O’ are you a privateer, or man-of-war cried
we?”
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
“I am a bloody pirate ship come lookin’ for me fee!”
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High Bar-ba-ree.
For Broadside, for broadside, they fought all
on the main,
Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we
Until at last our frigate shot the pirate’s mast away
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High Bar-ba-ree.
For Quarter, for quarter, the saucy pirate cried
Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we
But the quarter that we showed them was to sink them in the tide
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High Bar-ba-ree.
With cutlass and gun, Oh, we fought for hours
three;
Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we
The ship is was their coffin and their grave it was the sea
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High
Bar-ba-ree.
But Oh! What a cruel sight, and grieved us,
full score,
Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we
To see them all a drownin’ as they tried to swim to shore
A-sailin’ down all on the coast of High Bar-ba-ree.