As we were sailing along salt sea,
We hadn't been gone months but two or three,
When we saw ten sail, ten sail of Turk,
All men of war, full as big as we.
"Haul down your colors, you English dogs!
Haul down your colors and do not refuse.
Haul down your colors, you English dogs
Or your precious lives You will lose!"
Our captain being a valiant man,
And a well-bespoken man was he:
"Let it never be said that we died like dogs,
For we shall fight most manfully!"
"Go up aloft, you cabin boy,
And mount to the mainmast a top so high,
For to spread the news to King Henry�s fleet
That we'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
The fight began about six in the morn,
And on to the setting of the sun.
But at the rise of the next dawn,
Where we saw ten ships, we couldn't see but one.
For three we sank, and three we burned,
And three we caused to run away.
But one we towed back to Portsmith harbor,
For to let them know we'd won the day.
If anyone then should inquire
As to our gallant captain's name,
Well Captain Will Bounder was our commander
And the Royal Oak was our ship by name.