Royal Oak
Jolly Rogers Lyrics


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As we were sailing, all on the salt sea
We hadn't been gone months, but two or three
When we saw ten sail, ten sail of Turks
All men of war, full as big as we
"Haul down your colors,  you English dogs!
Haul down your colors, do not refuse
Haul down your colors, you English dogs
Or your precious life you will lose!"

Our captain being a valiant man
And a well-bespoken, a man was he!
"Let it never be said that we died like dogs
But we shall fight, most manfully!
Go up aloft, you cabin boys
And mount the mainmast atop so high
For to spread the news to King George's fleet
That we'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
Now the fight began about six in the morn
And on to the setting of the sun
And at the rise of the next dawn
When we saw ten ships
We couldn't see but one
'Cause three we sank, and three we burned
And three we caused to run away
And one we towed into Portsmouth harbor
For to let them know we'd won the day

If anyone then should enquire
As to our gallant captain's name




Well, Captain Wellfounder was our commander
And the Royal Oak was our ship by name

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jolly Roger's song Royal Oak recount a naval battle between ten English ships, led by Captain Wellfounder aboard the Royal Oak, and ten Turkish men-of-war. The Turks demand the English ships to haul down their colors, but the captain courageously refuses to submit to their demands. He orders the cabin boys to mount the mainmast atop so high to spread the news to King George's fleet that they will fight to the bitter end. The battle lasts from six in the morning till the setting sun and then continues the next day, which ends with the English fleet achieving a resounding victory. They destroy six of the ten ships and capture one, towing it to Portsmouth harbor.


The song reflects the valor, determination, and patriotism of the English sailors who fight fiercely against foreign aggressors. The captain chivalrously refuses to lower the flag of his country, even when confronted by overwhelming odds. The song celebrates the English sailors' victory and their commitment to protect their country's sovereignty and honor. The lyrics are an inspiring testament to the bravery and sacrifice of those in the service of their country.


Line by Line Meaning

As we were sailing, all on the salt sea
Our voyage began amidst the vast ocean


We hadn't been gone months, but two or three
Our journey was just a few months old


When we saw ten sail, ten sail of Turks
Ten Turkish warships appeared on the horizon


All men of war, full as big as we
Having the same size and strength as our own ship


"Haul down your colors, you English dogs!
The Turks demanded us to lower our English flag


Haul down your colors, do not refuse
They threatened us with grave consequences if we refused


Haul down your colors, you English dogs
The Turks repeated their demand for us to surrender


Or your precious life you will lose!"
They warned us of the possibility of being killed


Our captain being a valiant man
Our captain was brave and courageous


And a well-bespoken, a man was he!
Our captain was also able to articulate his thoughts well


"Let it never be said that we died like dogs
Our captain didn't want us to go down without a fight


But we shall fight, most manfully!
He motivated us to fight courageously


Go up aloft, you cabin boys
Our captain instructed some of us to climb the mast


And mount the mainmast atop so high
To hoist the flag as high as possible


For to spread the news to King George's fleet
To inform other English ships about the situation


That we'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
Our captain emphasized the need to fight back


Now the fight began about six in the morn
The battle started around 6 AM


And on to the setting of the sun
It continued until sunset


And at the rise of the next dawn
When the sun next rose


When we saw ten ships
We saw ten Turkish ships once more


We couldn't see but one
We were successful in sinking, burning, or forcing the others to retreat, leaving only one remaining


'Cause three we sank, and three we burned
Out of the ten Turkish ships, we sank three and burned three


And three we caused to run away
We drove three Turkish ships to retreat


And one we towed into Portsmouth harbor
We managed to capture and drag one ship to the Portsmouth harbor


For to let them know we'd won the day
We brought the ship to demonstrate our victory


If anyone then should enquire
If anyone asks


As to our gallant captain's name
About the name of our courageous captain


Well, Captain Wellfounder was our commander
Our captain was named Captain Wellfounder


And the Royal Oak was our ship by name
Our ship was named Royal Oak




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Comments from YouTube:

@casjadyn1733

I love that your songs aren't mindless rhymes. Each one tells a story, and that's so hard to find. I absolutely love you guys and all of your music!

@arturmacedocostacurtazimme4663

There are some bands that tell storys but theire one of the bests

@casjadyn1733

@@arturmacedocostacurtazimme4663 I figured there were, I just have a hard time finding them. But I fully agree, they're definitely some of the best around!

@robertortiz-wilson1588

I feel the same about songs in general! The best songs are meant to tell a story. Preferably one's that can also be told around a campfire!

@b.r.holmes6365

Absolutely slapping shanty. This is definitely a boast song! Can envision some limey sitting at the pub boasting about beating 10 enemy ships.

@briankim370

I always listen this song whenever I drink alone after work
It smells like the high seas again today

@Tiglath-Pileser3

There isn't a bad song on this album. Really great stuff. "Wicked" may be the song that introduced me to you, but XXV made me love you guys.

@ladyneanna

Still one of my favorites since I heard it on cassette tape in the early years! I'm so thankful that this song stayed in your roster beyond the rotation of members.

@WolfPack-bh3es

I heard this song for the fist time at work. When I started listening to the lyrics I stopped what I was doing for a moment before doubling my pace to the beat. Great song.

@SashaMacleod

I love this song. It’s one of my favorites that you all sing!

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