(Traditional)
Look ahead, look astern, look the weather and the lee
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
I see a wreck to windward and a lofty ship to lee
A-sailing down along the coast of High Barbary
"O, are you a pirate or a man o'war?" cried we
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
"O, no! I'm not a pirate, but a man o'war," cried he
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
Then pack up your topsails and heave your vessel to,
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
For we have got some letters to be carried home by you
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
We'll pack up our topsails and heave our vessel to,
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
But only in some harbor and along the side of you
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
For broadside, for broadside, they fought all on the main
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
Until at last the frigate shot the pirate's mast away
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
"For quarters! For quarters!" The saucy pirate cried
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
The quarters that we showed them was to sink them in the tide
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
With cutlass and gun-o! We fought for hours three
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
The ship it was their coffin, and their grave it was the sea
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary
But O! It was a cruel sight, it grieved all our souls
Blow high! Blow low! And so sailed we
To see them all adrowning as they tried to swim to shore
A-sailing down all on the coasts of High Barbary