A Ship to Old England Came Songtext
von Martin Carthy

There was a ship to Old England came
Launched from the stocks unto the main
Her sides were oak and her keel was box
She′s a gallant ship launched from the stocks

Launched from the stocks bound to the main
Fifty big guns on her deck lay plain
Beside five hundred brisk young men
Who were picked and choosed by everyone

We weighed our anchor to the bows
Through the wide ocean we did plough
As we were ploughing all on the deep
Five French men-of-war we did meet


It being late when we did meet
Night drawing on; our lives were sweet
We waited until the break of day
Then we began the bloody fray

Then up did speak our chief mate bold
Unto the little cabin boy:
"Go up aloft and see what you spy
Come down again immediately."

"I spy three ships coming from the east
They're bowling down, they make great haste
These three ships′ names to you I mist let know."
There was one the Oak and the other the Sloe
The third that came was the Unity
Which quickly made the Frenchmen flee

Now, some said God had a hand is this
Our little boy all danger missed
Our little boy on the top mast high
Where powder and shot so thick did fly