Warlike Seamen

Come all you warlike seamen
that to the seas belong
I'll tell you of a fight my boys
on board the Nottingham
It was of an Irish captain
his name was Somerville
With courage bold
did he control
He played his part so well

It was on the Eighth of June my boys
when at Spithead we lay
On board there came an order
Our anchor for to weigh
Bound for the coast of Ireland
Our orders did run so
For us to cruise
and not refuse
Against our daring foe

We had not sailed many lengths at sea
Before a ship we spied
She being some lofty Frenchman
come a-bearing down so wide
We hailed her in French my boys
she asked from whence we came
Our answer was from Liverpool
And London is our name

Oh pray are you some man of war
Oh pray what may you be
Oh then replied our captain
Oh that you soon shall see
Come and strike your English colours
or else you shall bring to
Since you're so stout
You shall give out
Or else we will sink you

Well the first broadside
We gave to them
It caused them for to wonder
Their mainmast and their rigging too
came a-rattling down like thunder
We drove them from their quarters
they could no longer stay
Our guns did roar
We made quite sure
We showed them British play

So now we've took that ship my boys
God speed to us fair wind
That we might sail to Plymouth town
if the heavens prove so kind
We'll drink a health unto our captain
To all such warlike souls
To him we'll drink
And never flinch
out of our flowing bowls