As we were sailing all on the salt sea,
We hadn't been gone months but two or three,
When we spy ten sail, ten sail of Turk,
All men-o'-war full as big as we.
"Haul down your colours, you English dogs!
Haul down your colours, do not refuse.
Haul down your colours, you English dogs
Or your precious lives you will lose!"
Our captain bein' a valiant man,
And a well-bespoken a man was he:
"Let it never be said we died like dogs,
For we shall fight most manfully!"
"Go up a loft, you cabin boy,
And mount the mainmast, a topsail high,
For to spread the news to King Henry's fleet
That we'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
Well, the fight began about six in the morn,
And unto the setting of the sun.
And 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 Portsmouth harbour,
For to let them know we'd won the day.
If anyone there should inquire
As to our gallant captain's name,
Well, Captain Wellfounder was our commander
And the Royal Oak was our ship of name.