Songs and Lyrics

Version 1

%abc-2.1

X:1
T:The Coasts Of High Barbary
C:Trad
M:6/8
L:1/4
Q:1/4=120
K:G
B, B,/2 | E3/2 E F/2 | G3/2 F D/2 | E G/2 F D/2 | E3/2 z A/2 | 
w:Look a-head, look a-starn, look the wea-ther and the lee Blow
(B3/2 B) G/2 | (A3/2 A) F/2 | (E F/2) G A/2 | (B3/2 B) B/2 | 
w:high - Blow low - and so - sail-ed we - I
B B/2 B G/2 | A A/2 (A/2G/2) F/2 | G A/2 B E/2 | D3/2 z D/2 | 
w:see a wreck to wind-ward and - a lofty ship to lee. A-
E E/2 E E/2 | E F/2 G A/2 | B3/2 E E/2 | E z/2 ||
w:sail-ing down all on the coasts of High Bar-ba-ry
%
W:
W:1
W:Look ahead look astern look the weather and the lee
W:ch:   Blow high Blow low and so saile we.
W:I see a wreck to windward ans a lofty ship to lee.
W:ch:   A sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary.
W:
W:2
W:Then hail her, our captain. He called o'er the side.
W:O are you a pirate or man-o-war he cried
W:
W:3
W:O are you a pirate or man-o-war cried we
W:Oh no I'm not a pirate but a man-o-war cried he.
W:
W:4
W:Then back up your top sails and heave your vessel to.
W:For we have got some letters to be carried home by you.
W:
W:5
W:We'll back up our top sails and heave our vessel to
W:But only in some harbour and along the side of you.
W:
W:6
W:For broadside for broadside they fought along the main
W:Until at last the frigate blew the pirates mast away.
W:
W:7
W:For quarters for quarters, the saucy pirate cried
W:The quarters that we showed them was to sink them in the tide.
W:
W:8
W:With cutlas and gun O we fought for hours three
W:The shipit was their coffin and the grave it was the sea.
W:
W:9
W:But O it was a cruel site and griev-ed us full sore
W:To see them all a drowning as they tried to swim to shore.

Version 2

Version 3

Song Note

Song by Traditional
Country of origin: England

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Song to be found in the following collection(s):

One Hundred English Folk Songs

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Song to be found in the following collection(s):