Warlike Seamen (Bob, John, Jim & Ron)

Warlike Seamen - The Copper Family

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 a 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 off France my boys

They asked from where we came

Our answer was From Liverpool

And London is our name

Oh pray are you some man of war

Or pray what may you be

Oh then replied our Captain

And that you soon shall see

Come 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

The first broadside we gave to them

Which made them to to wonder

Their main-mast and their rigging

Came a-rattling down like thunder

We drove them from their quarter

They could no longer stay

Our guns did roar we made so sure

We showed them British play

So now we've took that ship my boys

God speed us fair wind

That we might sail to Plymouth

I own if the heavens prove so kind

We'll drink a health unto our Captain

And all such warlike souls

To him we'll drink and never flinch

Out of a flowing bowl