Jack Sulanowski sings this accompanied by Tom Goux's trio of bass recorders (played simultaneously) on their Folkways album, Born of Another Time. He says they found it in Stan Hugill's Shanties from the Seven Seas. I love the contrast between, and the compliment of, the mournful tune and the oft-told tale of battle sea. C.K.
C: steel 6-string GB: cellamba
There were two lofty ships from old England come
Blow high, blow low, and so sailed we
One was the Prince of Luther and the other Prince of Wales
All a'cruising down the coast of the High Barbary
Aloft there, aloft there, our bully bosom cried
Look ahead, look astern, look to weather and alee
There's naught upon our stern, sir, there's naught upon our lee
But there's a lofty ship to windward and she's sailing fast and free
Then hail her, oh, hail her, our gallant captain cried
Are you a man of war or a privateer, cried he
Oh no, I'm not a man of war nor privateer, cried he
But I'm a salt pirate all a'looking for my fee
Then broadside and broadside, a long time they lay
Til at last the Prince of Luther shot the pirates' mast away
Oh quarter, oh, quarter, those pirates they did cry
But the quarter that we give 'em was to sink them in the sea
With cutlass and gun, well, we fought for hours three
The ship it was their coffin and their grave it was the sea