To the people complaining about their perceived error in the lyrics about a schooner: Not so. There is technically nothing wrong with the song, just in the way you're interpreting it.

Just because the two lines are one after the other, that doesn't mean they have to have happened in the same incident, or on the same day, or on the same ship, etc.

The sailor was listing his accomplishments, and stated:

1. I was a sailor.
2. I was born upon the tide.
3. With the sea I did abide.
4. I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico.
5. I went aloft to furl the main sail in a blow. And when the yards broke off, they said that I got killed. (the "And" obviously connects these two lines together)


Just because he did sail a schooner, that doesn't mean he WAS still on the schooner when the next incident happened. They could be two separate incidents, and the song doesn't state otherwise. Sure, you can infer it happened on a schooner if you want, but you might as well assume he was on a schooner all through the verse then.... Was he also born on a schooner? Doubt it. And obviously, if you can't "go aloft to furl the main sail" on a schooner, then he wasn't on a schooner when item 5 from the list above happened, and it happened some time after item 4 happened....


Just like the Highwayman didn't do all his things in one day... He didn't steal baubles, kill men, and get hanged all during the same incident in his life; he recounted doing different things at different times of his life.... probably over many years, just like the sailor's experiences happened over many years.... Yes, the song doesn't waste any time with segues between each line and jumps right from one incident to the next, but you can assume there was time in between each line... Like the Highwayman didn't get hung the same day he killed many a soldier, even though the lines happen right after one another....