There were three brothers in merry Scotland
In merry Scotland they were three
And they did cast lots which of them should go,
should go, should go
For to turn robber all on the salt sea
The lot it fell first upon Henry Martin
The youngest of all the three
That he should turn robber all on the salt sea,
the salt sea, the salt sea,
For 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
When he espied a rich lofty ship
lofty ship, lofty ship
Come a bibbing down him straight away
"Hullo, Hullo!", cried Henry Martin
"What makes you sail so nigh?"
"I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair London town,
London town, London town
Would you please for to let me pass by?"
"O no, o no", cried Henry Martin
"That thing it never could be;
For I have turned robber all on the salt sea,
the salt sea, the salt sea,
For to maintain my two brothers and me."
"So lower your topsail and brail up your mizzen
Bring yourself under my lee
Or I shall give you a full cannonball,
cannonball, cannonball,
And your dear bodies drown in the salt sea."
Then broadside and broadside and at it they went
For fully two hours or three
Til Henry Martin gave to her the death shot,
the death shot, the death shot,
Heavily listing to starboard went she
The rich merchant vessel was wounded full sore
Straight to the bottom went she
And Henry Martin he sailed away
sailed away, sailed away,
straight and proudly all on the salt sea
Sad news, sad news to old England came
Sad news to fair London town
There was a rich vessel and she's cast away,
cast away, cast away,
And all of her merry men drown'd.
In merry Scotland they were three
And they did cast lots which of them should go,
should go, should go
For to turn robber all on the salt sea
The lot it fell first upon Henry Martin
The youngest of all the three
That he should turn robber all on the salt sea,
the salt sea, the salt sea,
For 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
When he espied a rich lofty ship
lofty ship, lofty ship
Come a bibbing down him straight away
"Hullo, Hullo!", cried Henry Martin
"What makes you sail so nigh?"
"I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair London town,
London town, London town
Would you please for to let me pass by?"
"O no, o no", cried Henry Martin
"That thing it never could be;
For I have turned robber all on the salt sea,
the salt sea, the salt sea,
For to maintain my two brothers and me."
"So lower your topsail and brail up your mizzen
Bring yourself under my lee
Or I shall give you a full cannonball,
cannonball, cannonball,
And your dear bodies drown in the salt sea."
Then broadside and broadside and at it they went
For fully two hours or three
Til Henry Martin gave to her the death shot,
the death shot, the death shot,
Heavily listing to starboard went she
The rich merchant vessel was wounded full sore
Straight to the bottom went she
And Henry Martin he sailed away
sailed away, sailed away,
straight and proudly all on the salt sea
Sad news, sad news to old England came
Sad news to fair London town
There was a rich vessel and she's cast away,
cast away, cast away,
And all of her merry men drown'd.
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
