Many years ago I met an old sea-captain on a ship in the Med, and after a few glasses on a summer hatchcover, he grabbed my primitive nylon-stringed Spanish guitar and knocked out a thrilling ballad of derring-do on the high seas. Although I do not know much of it today the thought occurred to me someone out there might know it. It describes a sea-battle in which the enemy overwhelms the singer's ship, and he intends to perform the ultimate sacrifice by torching the powder store, blowing the ship out from under the pirates or enemy or whoever. From the way he sang I surmised he had known the song a long while, but of course it could have been a modern invention, I do not know. All I remember is a snatch of the song from the end of one of the verses, which goes:

Now...(something something)...and render to me
For my very last duty, the powder room key.


Anyone have any idea what it is, whence it came?


Thanks for pondering this old mystery!

A

No cracks about painted powder rooms, either!! :>)