Looking at my Roud index, the Andrew Bardeen title seems to be on American versions: Randolph's Ozark Folk Songs, Flanders' Country Songs of Vermont and Ancient Ballads Traditionally Sung In New England and Moore's Ballads and Folksongs of the Southwest seem to be the sources for printed versions.

Here's the Randolph version from Bronson. The tune is Phrygian (or as Bronson puts it Phrygian (-VII) if on E, Ionian (-II) if on C). I'll post the tune in a while and you can see if it's your tune.

Mick

---

ANDREW BARDEEN

There was three brothers in old Scotland,
Three lovin' brothers was they,
They all cast lots to see who should go
A-robbin' all o'er the salt sea.

The lot it fell to Andrew Bardeen,
He being the youngest of three,
Was forced to go robbing all o'er the salt sea
To maintain his two brothers and he.

He had not sailed more than a week in the year,
When a ship he did espy,
Come sailing so far off and so far on
Till at last it come sailing so high.

Who are you? Who are you? cries Andrew Bardeen,
Who are you? And where are you bound?
We're the merry rich merchants from old England,
Won't you please for to let us pass on?

Oh no, oh no, cries Andrew Bardeen,
Oh no, that never can be.
Your ship and your cargo we'll take all away
And your merry men we'll drown in the sea.

Go build me a boat, cries Captain Charles Stuart,
Go build it both safe and strong,
That I may go capture this king of the sea,
Or my life it will not last me long.

He had not sailed more than a week in the year,
When a ship he did espy,
Come sailing so far off and so far on
Till at last it come sailing so high.

Who are you? Who are you? cries Captain Charles Stuart,
Who are you? And where are you bound?
We're the merry Scotch robbers from old Scotland,
Won't you please for to let us pass on?

Oh no, oh no, cries Captain Charles Stuart,
Oh no, that never can be,
Your ship and your cargo we'll take all away
And your merry men we'll drown in the sea.

Come on, come on, cries Andrew Bardeen,
'Tis I that don't fear you a pin,
'Tis you that can show your bright brasses without,
But we'll show you bright steel within.

'Twas at that moment the battle began,
And loudly the cannon did roar,
They had not fought more than a last and a half,
Till Captain Charles Stuart gave o'er.

Go back, go back, cries Andrew Bardeen,
And tell King George Third for me,
that he may be king of the whole wide land,
But I will be king of the sea.


Source: Bronson, originally from Randolph, 1946 from Bruce Evans, Rogersville, Mo, April 19, 1934.