In 1966 the pair teamed up and began a significant influence on the folk music scene of the time. For contractual reasons, Swarbrick was given second billing on Carthy’s first three albums, but they shared the credits on the next album, But Two Came By (1968).
For many critics, Prince Heathen from 1969 was their finest recording together.
In 2006, the duo released "Straws in the Wind". In 2007, they won the 'Best Duo' Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Royal Oak
Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We hadn't sailed months past two or three.
Long before we saw ten sail of Turk,
All men-o'-war full as big as we.
"Pull down your colours, you English dogs!
Pull down your colours, do not refuse.
Oh, pull down your colours, you English dogs,
And our captain being a valiant man,
And a well-bespoken young man was he:
"Oh, it never shall be said that we died like dogs,
But we will fight them manfully!"
"Go up, you lofty cabin boys,
And mount the mainmast topsail high,
For to spread abroad to our noble fleet
We'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
The fight begun 'bout six in the morning
And unto the setting of the sun.
Oh, and at the rising of the very next morning,
Out of ten ships could not see but one.
Oh, three we sank and three we burned,
Three we caused to run away,
And one we brought into Portsmouth harbour
For to let them know we had won the day.
And if anyone then should enquire
Or want to know our captain's name,
Captain Wellfounder is our chief commander,
But the Royal Oak is our ship by name.
The song "Royal Oak" by Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick is a ballad that tells the story of an English ship sailing on the salt sea, when it encountered ten Turkish men-of-war ships. The Turks demanded that the English ship lower its colors, but the captain refused to do so and instead rallied his crew to fight. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle that lasted from six in the morning until the sun set, and resumed the following morning. In the end, the English ship emerged victorious, having sunk three Turkish ships, caused three others to run away, and taken one captive. The victory was credited to Captain Wellfounder, the English ship's chief commander, and the Royal Oak, which lent the song its name.
The lyrics of "Royal Oak" paint a vivid picture of a heroic battle at sea. They portray the courage and determination of the English crew, who refused to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds, as well as the strength and power of the Turkish ships. The song also conveys a sense of national pride and triumph in the face of foreign aggression, celebrating the bravery and resilience of the English people.
Line by Line Meaning
As we was sailing all on the salt sea,
The song begins with the depiction of journey on the sea.
We hadn't sailed months past two or three.
The sailors had been navigating for the past couple of months.
Long before we saw ten sail of Turk,
The sailors encountered the enemy ship far in advance.
All men-o'-war full as big as we.
The enemy ship was large in size and a battleship.
"Pull down your colours, you English dogs!
The enemy soldiers ordered the sailors to surrender.
Pull down your colours, do not refuse.
The enemy instructed to give up the ship.
Oh, pull down your colours, you English dogs,
The enemy referred to the sailors as English dogs.
Or else your precious life you'll lose!"
The warning given to the sailors was that if they don't surrender, they would lose their lives.
And our captain being a valiant man,
The reference is made to the bravery of the captain.
And a well-bespoken young man was he:
The captain was young and articulate.
"Oh, it never shall be said that we died like dogs,
The captain refused to surrender without putting up a fight.
But we will fight them manfully!"
The sailors decided to fight the enemy with bravery.
"Go up, you lofty cabin boys,
The captain instructed the sailors to go up to the mast and raise the sail.
And mount the mainmast topsail high,
The captain instructed sailors to raise the mainmast and display the flagship's colors.
For to spread abroad to our noble fleet
The sailors needed to inform their noble fleet, so they displayed the flag.
We'll run the risk or else we'll die!"
The sailors were determined and ready to risk it all.
The fight begun 'bout six in the morning
The battle started at six in the morning.
And unto the setting of the sun.
It lasted till the sunset.
Oh, and at the rising of the very next morning,
The reference is made to the outcome of battle the next day.
Out of ten ships could not see but one.
Out of ten enemy ships, only one survived.
Oh, three we sank and three we burned,
The sailors destroyed three ships by sinking and burning them.
Three we caused to run away,
Three other ships were forced to flee.
And one we brought into Portsmouth harbour
The sailors captured one ship and brought it to the Portsmouth harbour.
For to let them know we had won the day.
The sailors captured the ship to inform others that they have won the battle.
And if anyone then should enquire
If anyone asks for the captain's name,
Or want to know our captain's name,
The sailors revealed the name of their captain.
Captain Wellfounder is our chief commander,
The captain's name was Wellfounder.
But the Royal Oak is our ship by name.
The name of the victorious flagship was Royal Oak.
Contributed by Alice B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.