Traditional Scottish Songs
- Henry Martin

There are many variations on this song based on a real pirate - though his name was Andrew Barton, not Henry Martin. In the 15th century, John Barton, Andrew's father, had commanded a merchant ship which was captured by the Portuguese. King James IV gave his sons permission to carry out reprisal raids but Andrew carried his piracy too far and attacked English ports, pretending to be Portuguese. The English fleet was sent by King Henry VIII and captured Andrew's ship and fatally wounded him.


Henry Martin

There were three brothers in merry Scotland
In Scotland there lived brothers three,
And they did cast lots which of them should go, should go, should go,
For to turn robber all on the salt sea.

The lot it fell on Henry Martin
The youngest of all the three,
That he should turn robber all on the salt sea, the salt sea, the salt sea,
For to maintain his two brothers and he.

He had not been sailing but a long winter's night
And part of a short winter's day,
When he espied a lofty stout ship, stout ship, stout ship,
Coming a-sailing along that way.

'Hello, Hello,' said Henry Martin,
'What makes you sail so high?'
'I'm a rich merchant ship bound for fair London Town, London Town, London Town,
Will you please for to let me pass by?'

'Oh no, Oh no! cried Henry Martin,
'That thing it never can be,
For I have turned robber all on the salt sea, the salt sea, the salt sea,
For to maintain my two brothers and me.'

With broadside and broadside and at it they went
For fully two hours or three,
Till Henry Martin gave to her the death shot, the death shot, the death shot,
Heavily listing to starboard went she.

The rich merchant vessel was wounded full sore,
Straight to the bottom went she,
And Henry Martin sailed away on the sea, the salt sea, the salt sea,
For to maintain his two brothers and he.

Bad news, bad news to old England came,
Bad news to fair London Town,
There was a rich vessel and she's cast away, cast away, cast away,
And all of her merry men drowned.

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