The Bold Princess Royal
This first version is the one sung by John Copper (snr).The Bold Princess Royal words and music are in The Copper Family Song Book, but not in Bob Copper's book, A Song for Every Season.
On the fourteenth of February we sailed from the land
The bold Princess Royal bound for Newfoundland,
We had forty bright seamen our ship's company,
So boldly from the east'ard to the west'ard bore we.We had not been sailing scarce days two or three
When a man from our top-mast a sail he did see,
Come bearing down on us to see where we bore
And under her mizzen black colours she wore.Great God, cried our captain, what shall we do now?
Here comes a bold pirate to rob us I know.
Oh no, cried our chief mate, that shall not be so
We will shake out our reef, my boys, and away from himIt was the next morning at the dawning of day,
This lofty, large pirate shot under our lee.
Whence came you, cried the pirate, we answered him so,
We are out of fair London bound for Callao.Then back your main top-sails and heave your ship to
For I have a letter to send down to you.
If I back my main topsails and heave my ship to,
It will be for some pilot - not alongside of you.He chased us to the east'ard all that live long day,
He chased us to the west'ard but he couldn't make no way.
He fired shots after us but none did prevail
And the bold Princess Royal soon showed him her tail.Oh, now, cried our captain, that pirate is gone,
Go down for your grog, my boys, go down every one.
Go down for your grog, my boys, and be of good cheer,
For while we've got sea room bold lads never fear.
Following is the version collected by Bob Copper from Ned 'Wintry' Adams [right] in Hastings in about 1954, as recounted in pp. 60-66 of Songs and Southern Breezes. These words are from the appendix, pp. 206-7. Although the words are similar, the tune sung by Ned Adams (as transcribed by David Kettlewell and printed in Songs and Southern Breezes p. 206), is significantly different from the one written down by Bob Copper in The Copper Family Song Book, p. 12.
On the fourteenth of February, we sailed from the land,
In the bold Princess Royal, bound for Newfoundland;
We had forty brave seamen for the ship's company
And boldly from the east'ard to the west'ard bore we.We had not been a-sailing scarce days two or three,
When a man from our mast-head strange sails did he see;
He came bearing down on us for to see what we were
And under his mizzen, black colours he wore.O Lord, cried our captain, what shall we do now?
Here comes a bold pirate for to rob us, I know.
Oh no, cried the chief mate, that will not be so,
We'll shake out our reef, my boys, and away from him we'll go.At last this bold pirate, he hove alongside
With a loud-speaking trumpet: Whence come you? he cried.
Our captain, standing aft, my boys, he answered them so -
We've come from fair London town; we're bound for Cairo.Come lay up your course-sails and heave your ship to,
For I have some letters for to send home by you.
I'll lay up my course-sails and I'll heave my ship to,
But that's home in harbour, boys, not alongside of you.He chased us to the east'ard all that livelong day,
He chased us to the east'ard but he couldn't get no way;
He fir-ed shots after us but none did prevail
And the bold Princess Royal shoon showed him her tail.O Lord, cried our captain, now the pirate, he is gone,
Go down to your grog, my boys, go down everyone,
Go down to your grog, my boys, and be of good cheer,
For while we have sea-room, brave lads, never fear.
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