Come, all you sailors bold
Lend an ear, lend an ear
Come all you sailors bold, lend an ear
It's of our Admiral's fame,
Brave Benbow call'd by name
How he fought on the main
You shall hear
Brave Benbow he set sail
For to fight, for to fight
Brave Benbow he set sail for to fight
Brave Benbow he set sail
With a fine and pleasant gale,
But his captains they turn'd tail
In a fright
Says Kirby unto Wade
"I will run, I will run"
Says Kirby unto Wade, "I will run"
I value not disgrace,
Nor the losing of my place,
My enemies I'll not face
With a gun
'Twas the Ruby and Noah's Ark
Fought the French, fought the French
'Twas the Ruby and Noah's Ark fought the French:
And there was ten in all,
Poor souls they fought them all,
Nor their noise.
It was our Admiral's lot
With a chain shot, with a chain shot
It was our Admiral's lot with a chain shot.
Our Admiral lost his legs,
And to his men he begs
"Fight on, my boys", he says,
"'Tis my lot".
While the surgeon dress'd his wounds
Thus he said, thus he said,
While the surgeon dressed his wounds, thus he said:
"Let my cradle now in haste
On the quarter-deck be plac'd,
That my enemies I may face
Till I'm dead"
And there bold Benbow lay
Crying out, crying out
And there bold Benbow lay crying out:
"Let us tack about once more,
We'll drive them to their own shore,
I value not half a score,
Nor their noise."
(English sea shanty -- original author unknown)