Oh, there is a lofty ship and she sails on the sea
And the name of that shippin' is the Golden Vanity
And she fears she will be taken by a Turkish enemy
A she sails on the lowland, lowland, low
She sails on the lowland sea.
Then up steps the cabin boy just the age of twelve and three
And he says to the skipper "What will you give to me
If I swim alongside of that Turkish enemy
And I sink her in the lowland, lowland, low
I sink her in the lowland sea?"
"Oh, I will give you silver, and I will give you gold
And the hand of my daughter if you would be so bold
As to swim alongside of that Turkish enemy
And to sink her in the lowland, lowland, low
To sink her in the lowland sea."
Then the boy he made all ready and overboard jumped he
And swam alongside of that Turkish enemy
And with his little drilling tool he bor-ed holes three
And he sank her in the lowland, lowland, low
He sank her in the lowland sea
Then the boy he turned about and back again swam he
And hollered for the skipper to haul him from the sea
But the skipper would not heed for his daughter he did need
And he left him in the lowland, lowland, low
He left him in the lowland sea
Oh, there is a lofty ship and she sails on the sea
But she sails without a cabinboy the age of twelve and three
And she fears she will be taken by a Turkish enemy
As she sails on the lowland, lowland, low
She sails on the lowland sea