1        'Twas on the twelfth of March me boys from Bristol we set sail,
                    the wind it blew from west-nor-west a fine and a pleasant gale,
                we sail-ed all the livelong day til the setting of the sun,
                    and there we spied a bold pirate sailing two leagues to our one.

        2        He hail-ed us in English and he asked of our home town.
                    We said we was from Bristol and on our course was bound.
                "Lower down lower down your tops'l yards and let your ship lie to,
                    and if you fire one single shot then it's death to all your crew.

        3        Oh then up spoke our captain bold, "Oh that will never be
                    while we have got twenty-eight brass guns to keep us company,
                while we have three hundred men most British seamen bold                
                    that values more their honour bright than a miser does his gold."

        4        That bold pirate he boarded us with three hundred of his men
                    but at a word from our commander bold we began to slaughter them.
                They cut down our blue silk ensign our warlike ship to take,
                    but our guns did give them such a peal as it made their hearts to
                                                                                        ache.

        5        That bold pirate he bore from us, he tried to get away,
                   but a broadside from our warlike ship oblig-ed him to stay.
                Straightway we lowered down our boats, boarded him immediately
                   and there we found this bold pirate with his two legs from his thigh.

        6        Saying, "Well done well done you Bristol boys, you fought most forward
                                                                                        bold,
                   go down below and you will find five hundred chests of gold."
                We took that pirate ship in tow, a glorious sight to see
                   and we sailed til we moored in Bristol Town alongside Bristol Quay.
                
Then every man his fortune made, we all went safe ashore,
                   and we joined together to thank one another
                                  and to sea we will go no more.