Chad Mitchell Trio - Golden Vanity lyrics

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And the name of that shippin' is the Golden Vanity
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.

Then up steps the cabinboy just the age of twelve and three
And he says to the skipper, What will you give to me
If I swim along side of that Turkish enemy
And I sink her in the lowland , lowland,low
I sink her in the lowland sea.

O I will give you silver, and I will give you gold
And the hand of my daughter if you will be so bold
As to swim along side 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 drillin' tool he bore-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.

O 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

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Language: English

Submitted by Walter at Sunday 30th of October 2005 08:24

2 Comments found

Anonymous

Thursday 1st of August 2019 13:54

This song is also known by other names, two of which are "Sir Walter Raleigh Sailing in the Lowlands" and "Sweet Trinity". In some versions the cabin boy is never brought back onboard. The boy then swims over and bores holes in their ship, just as he did to the enemy's ship and he sinks it too. Ironic justice. Everyone loses their lives

Anonymous

Thursday 1st of August 2019 13:28

The melody of this song doesn't match the sad story it tells. It's a study of human nature; the potential and choice we all have to become a person of integrity who does what's right even when no one is looking and the selfishness and propensity for evil that resides in each of our hearts.

Side note: There is another version of this song where it's the captain, not the skipper, who makes the offer, which to me seems to make more sense.

Either way, this guy panicked and offered riches and his daughters hand to anyone who could save his ship, his home, his livelihood. But when it came down to it, and the danger had passed, he chose to not rescue the brave boy who saved his life and the life of the crew. The commanding officer gave little thought to the boy - his life, his future. To him, the boy's life was expendable once he gotten out of him what he wanted.

Each life has value, from conception to old age, regardless of station in life or any other standard the world uses to measure value. Was he able to live with himself, knowing he sacrificed his integrity, if he had any to begin with, and let one of his crew perish?

Then there's the crew. Were they unaware of the boy's situation at first or were they just caloused and apathetic? Or could it be that individually they were just too afraid to stand up to the guy in charge? Sadly, by the time the crew decided to act, it was too late for the boy to survive his mission.

I see myself in this story. Do you?