Joseph Arthur - Coast Of High Barbary Lyrics

here were two lofty ships
From old England came
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
One was the Prince of Luther
And the other Prince of Wales
Cruisin' down the coast
Of High Barbary

Aloft there, aloft
Our jolly bosun cried
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
Look ahead, look astern,
Look the weather look a-lee"
Look down the coast
Of High Barbary

There's naught upon the stern,
There's naught upon our lee
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But there's a lofty ship to wind'ard
An' she's sailin' fast and free
Down along the coast
Of High Barbary

Oh hail her, oh hail her
Our gallant captain cried
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
Are you a man-o-war
A privateer, a merchant ship? cried he
Cruisin' down the coast
Of High Barbary

I am not a man-o-war,
A privateer," said he
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But I am a salt sea pirate
A-looking for me fee
Down along the coast
Of High Barbary

For Broadside, for broadside
A long time we lay
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
Until the Prince of Luther
Shot the pirate's mast away
Down along the coast
Of High Barbary

For quarter, for quarter
The pirates they did cry
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But the answer that we gave them
We sunk them in the sea
Cruisin' down the coast
Of High Barbary

Cruisin' down along the coast
Of High Barbary

Cruisin' down along the coast
of High Barbary

The US Navy Band does a remarkably similar version...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P30WjkNMruk

I have been drinking when I found this.

Arr ..be that Rum you drinkin me old shippers?

This is a great version love it.

Fabulously eccentric version of this shanty: well done all !

Setting out on a Norfolk Broads holiday, my (allegedly) grown up son put this on the boats cd player and did an appropriate dance. Etched in my memory forever!

well, mostly Am and G, as far as i see. The Bass-Tones are A, E, G and A again for the basslick.

this song ist so damn nice, and gladly i'm a baritone :)

awesome!

Absolutely love it. Wake of the Lorelei Lee <3

This song is fun to sing ... considering I'm a girl.

Abigail Carroll what does that have to do with anything?

A sea shanty sung in Hell.

The album cover shown is the cd I first heard this on. Great compilation.

@Ockette, Yeah I know, you just don't hear of pirates on the Med anymore, I did say it was strange.

@forcesofattraction Heh. Wrong side of the Red Sea.

I can hear this when the somalian pirate news stories are broadcast, strangely.

Thanks for posting, I love this whole album.