Donovan — Henry Martin

[Verse 1] There were three brothers in merry Scotland In merry Scotland there were three, aye And they did cast lots which of them should go Should go, should go, should go, aye And to turn robber along the salt sea To turn pirate along the salt sea [Verse 2] The lot it fell first to Henry Martin The younger of all the three, aye That he should turn robber along the salt sea Salt sea, salt sea, salty sea, aye For to maintain his two brothers and he To maintain his two brothers and he [Verse 3] He had not been sailing but a long winter's night And part of a short winter's day, aye When he espied a stout lofty ship Lofty ship, lofty ship, lofty ship, aye Come a-bibbin' down on him straight away Come a-bibbin' down on him straight away [Verse 4] "Hullo, hullo", cried Henry Martin "What makes you sail so nigh?", aye "I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair London town London town, London town, London town, aye And will you not please for to let me pass by? Won't will you please for to let me pass by?" [Verse 5] "O nae, o nae", cried Henry Martin "This thing, it never can be, aye For I have turned pirate along the salt sea Salt sea, salt sea, salty sea, aye For to maintain my two brothers and me To maintain my two brothers and me" [Verse 6] "Come lower your topsail and slacken your mizzen And bring your ship under our lee, aye Or will we give to you a full cannonball Cannonball, cannonball, cannonball, aye And all your merry men drown in the sea All your merry men drown in the sea" [Verse 7] "We won't lower our topsail nor slacken our mizzen Nor bring our ship under your lee And you won't give us your full cannonball Cannonball, cannonball, cannonball aye Nor all our merry men drown in the sea All our merry men drown in the sea" [Verse 8] Then up him and at him and at him he went For fully two hours or three, aye 'Til Henry Martin gave to them the death shot The death shot, aye And all the merry men drowned in the sea All the merry men drowned in the sea [Verse 9] Sad news, sad news to old England came Sad news to fair London town, aye There's been a rich vessel, and she's cast away Cast away, cast away, cast away, aye And all her merry men drowned in the sea All her merry men drowned in the sea All her merry men drowned in the sea All her merry men drowned in the sea