The Golden Vanity

Oh, there sailed a lofty ship and she sailed upon the sea

And the name of the ship was the golden vanity.

But she feared she would be taken by a turkish enemy

As she sailed upon the lowland, lowland, low

She sailed upon the lowland sea.

Well there was a cabin boy, but the age of twelve and three

And he said to the skipper, "what will you give to me,

If I swim alongside of the turkish enemy,

And I sink her in the lowland, lowland, low

I sink her in the lowland sea?"

"Oh, I will give you silver, and I will give you gold,

And the hand of my daughter if you will be so bold

As to swim alongside of the turkish enemy,

And to sink her in the lowland, lowland, low

To sink her in the lowland sea."

So then the boy he readied and overboard jumped he,

And he swam alongside of the turkish enemy,

And with his little drilling tool he bore in holes three,

And he sank her in the lowland, lowland, low

He sank her in the lowland sea.

Then the boy turned 'round and back again swam he,

And he hollered for the skipper to haul him from the sea.

But the skipper paid no heed for his daughter he did need,

And he left him in the lowland, lowland, low

He left him in the lowland sea.

Then the crew they hauled him up and upon the deck he died,

And they wrapped him in his blanket, so very soft and white.

They cast him overboard to drift upon the tide,

And he sank beneath the lowland, lowland, low

He sank beneath the lowland sea.

Now, there sails a lofty ship and she sails upon the sea,

But she sails without a cabinboy the age of twelve and three.

And she fears she will be taken by a spanish enemy,

As she sails upon the lowland, lowland, low

She sails upon the lowland sea.