There was two lofty ships, from old England they set sail Ch: Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we! The one she was the Princess and the other Prince of Wales Ch: Cruising down along the shores of High Barbary! "Lay aloft, lay aloft," our jolly skipper cried, "Look ahead, look astern, look a-weather and a-lee," "There's nothing out ahead, sir, there's nothing out astern, There's a rock upon our quarter and a ship upon our lee," "Now overhaul and speak her," our jolly skipper cried; "Are you an India merchantman or Yankee privateer?" "I am no India merchantman or Yankee privateer, But I am a salt-sea pirate and I'm sailing for my fee." 'Twas broadside to broadside those gallant ships did lay, Until the Prince of Wales shot the pirate's masts away. For quarter, for quarter, the pirates they did cry, But the quarter that we gave them was to sink them in the sea.

George Aloe version (early)

The George Aloe and the Sweepstake, too— With hey, with hoe, for and a nony no! O, they were marchantmen and bound for Safee, All alongst the coast of Barbarie! The George Aloe to anchor came— With hey, with hoe, for and a nony no! And the jolly Sweepstake kept on her way. All alongst the coast of Barbarie! They had not sayl'd leagues two or three— With hey, with hoe, for and a nony no! But they met with a French man-of-war upon the sea, All alongst the coast of Barbarie!

Source: The Sea's Anthology by Patterson

An early version of this song can be found in “The Sea’s Anthology” by Patterson, under the title The Saylor’s Onely Delight: Showing the Brave Fight betweene the George Aloe and the Sweepstake and certain Frenchmen on the Sea. Patterson in turn cites Shakespeare and Fletcher’s Two Noble Kinsmen, 1613(?). Safee is thought to be the Moroccan port of Safi (Asfi). The Shakespearean has the jailer’s daughter madly singing snippets of well-known ballads:

The George Alow came from the south, From the coast of Barbary-a, And there he met with brave gallants of war, By one, by two, by three-a. “Well hailed, well hailed, you jolly gallants, And whither now are you bound-a? O, let me have your company Till I come to the sound-a.”

Sheet Music (3 melodies)

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