The Coast of High Barbary

The Coast of High Barbary is a traditional British and American sailing song. It has been covered by the Mountain Goats during a few live shows.

Lyrics

There were two lovely ships 
From old England came
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
One was the Prince of Lutheran
And the other Prince of Wales
Cruising down along the coast 
Of the High Barbary

Aloft there, aloft there
Our jolly boatswain cries
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But look aloft, and look astern 
Look a-weather and a-lee
Cruising down along the coasts
Of the High Barbary

There's naught upon the stern
There's naught upon the lee
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But there's a lofty ship windward
And she's sailing fast and free
Cruising down along the coasts
Of the High Barbary

Oh hail her, oh hail her
Our gallant captain cried
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
Are you a man of war 
Or a privateer says he
Cruising down along the coast 
Of the High Barbary

Well I am not a man of war 
Nor a privateer says he
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But I'm a salt-sea pirate 
A-looking for my fee
Cruising down along the coast 
Of the High Barbary

'Twas broadside to broadside 
A long time we lay
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
Until the Prince of Lutheran shot
The pirates' masts away 
Cruising down along the coast 
Of the High Barbary

Oh mercy, oh mercy
Those pirates then did cry
Blow high, blow low
And so sail we
But the mercy that we gave them
We sank them in the sea
Cruising down along the coast
Of the High Barbary

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 2014-04-20 - Old Town School of Folk Music - Chicago, IL
• 2015-10-09 - Sing Out Loud Session - The Pirate Museum - St. Augustine, FL
• 2015-11-20 - Autumn Falls Festival - Le Botanique - Brussels, Belgium

Videos of this Song

• 2015-10-09 - Sing Out Loud Session - The Pirate Museum - St. Augustine, FL