There was a ship that sailed all on the lowland sea And the name of the ship was the Golden Vanity And we feared she would be taken by the Spanish enemy As she sailed upon the lowland, lowland, lowland Sailed upon the lowland sea Then up spoke our cabinboy and boldly out spoke he And he said to our captain "What will you give to me If I swim along the side of the Spanish enemy And I sink her in the lowland sea?" "Oh I will give you silver and I will give you gold And my own fair daughter your bonny bride shall be If you'll swim along the side of the Spanish enemy And you'll sink her in the lowland, lowland, lowland Sink her in the lowland sea Then the boy he made him ready and overboard sprang he And he swam to the side of the Spanish enemy With his brace and auger in her side he bored holes three And sank he her in the lowland sea Then quickly he swam back to the cheering of the crew But the captain would not heed him, his promise he did rue And he scorned his poor entreatings when loudly he did sue And left him in the lowland,lowland, lowland Left him in the lowland sea Then the boy he turned round and he swam to the port side And up to his messmates full bitterly he cried "O messmates, draw me up, for I'm drifting with the tide And I'm sinking in the lowland, lowland, lowland Sinking in the lowland sea." Then his messmates drew him up, but on the deck he died And they stitched him in a hammock which was so fair and white And they low'red him overboard, and he drifted with the tide And he sank into the lowland, lowland, lowland Sank into the lowland sea There was a ship that sailed all on the lowland sea And the name of the ship was the Golden Vanity And we feared she would be taken by the Spanish enemy As she sailed upon the lowland, lowland, lowland Sailed upon the lowland sea As she sailed upon the lowland, lowland, lowland Sailed upon the lowland sea