Could this be another version of the one you seek? Are we getting warm? :D

THE GOLDEN VANITY

There was a ship that sailed upon the Lowland sea,
And the name of that ship was the Golden Vanity.
And we feared she would be taken by the Spanish enemy
As we sailed upon the Lowland, Lowland, Low,
We sailed upon the Lowland sea.

Then up spoke our cabin boy and boldly outspoke he,
And he said to our captain, "What will you give to me
If I swim alongside of the Spanish enemy
And sink her in the Lowland, Lowland, Low,
And sink her in the Lowland sea?"

"O I will give you silver and I will give you gold
And my own fair young daughter, your bonny bride shall be
If you'll swim alongside of the Spanish enemy
And sink her in the Lowland, Lowland, Low,
And sink her in the Lowland sea."

Then the boy he made him ready and overboard sprang he,
And he swam alongside of the Spanish enemy,
And with his brace and auger in her side he bored holes three,
And sank her in the Lowland, Lowland, Low,
And sank her in the Lowland sea.

Then quickly he swam back to the cheering of the crew,
But the captain would not heed him, for his promise he did rue,
And he scorned his poor entreatings when loudly he did sue,
And left him in the Lowland, Lowland, Low,
And left him in the Lowland sea.

Then roundabout he turned and swam to the port side,
And up unto 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, Low,
I'm sinking in the Lowland sea."

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 13-Nov-02.