Digital Tradition Mirror

Barbaree

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Barbaree

There were two ships from old England came
     Blow high, blow low and so sail we,
One she was the Queen of Russia and the other Prince of Wales
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree.

"Step aloft, step aloft," our jolly bos'n cried,
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
"Look ahead, look astern, look aweather'd , and alee,
     Then look down on the coast of Barbaree."

"There is no ship ahead, there is no ship astern,"
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
"But there's a lofty ship awind'ard and a lofty ship is she,"
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree."

"Hail, hail, that lofty tall ship,"
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
"Are you a man-o-war's-man or a privateer?" said he,
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree."

"l'm no man-o-war's-man or privateer," said he,
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
"But I'm a jolly pirate a-seekin' for my fee,
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree."

Broadside, broadside along them we did lay,
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
Till at length the Queen of Russia shot the pirate's mast away,
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree.

"Oh, quarters, quarters," this jolly pirate cried,
     Blow high, blow low, and so sail we.
"The quarters I will give you I will sink you in the tide!
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree."

So we tied them one by one, and we tied them two by two,
     Blow high , blow low, and so sail we.
We tied them three by three, and we chucked 'em in the sea!
     Cruisin' down on the coast of Barbaree.

From Traditional American Folk Songs, Warner & Warner. Collected from
     C.K. "Tink" Tillett, 1940
Recorded by Jeff Warner and Jeff Davis
DT #412
Laws K33
RG

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