There were three brothers in merrry Scotland
In Scotland there lived brothers three
And they have cast lots for to see which of them
Which of them, which of them
Should go sailing all on the salt sea
The lot it fell out on young Henry Martin
The youngest of these brothers three
That he should go sailing all on the salt sea
The salt sea, the salt sea
To maintain his two brothers and he
We had not been a-sailing on a cold winter's morning
Three hours before it was day
Before we espied a lofty tall ship
A tall ship, a tall ship
Come a-sailing all on the salt sea
"Hallo, hallo," cries bold Henry Martin
"How dare you come sailing so nigh?"
"We're a rich merchant ship bound for old England
Old England, old England
Won't you please for to let us pa** by?"
"Oh, no, no, no," cries bold Henry Martin
"That never, no, never can be
For I am turned pirate all on the salt sea
The salt sea, the salt sea
To maintain my two brothers and me
"Take down your top royal, cut away your main mast
Come hither in under my lee
For I will take from you all of your flowing gold
Flowing gold, flowing gold
And return your fair bodies to sea."
Then broadside and broadside we valiantly fought
We fought for four hours or more
Till at last Henry Martin gave her a dead shot
A dead shot, a dead shot
And straight to the bottom she goes
Sad news, sad news, to you bold English heroes
Sad news I have for to tell
There is one of your rich ships got sunk off the land
Off the land, off the land
And all of your merry men drowned