Yon's my privateer see how trim she lies
To every man a lucky hand and to every man a prize
I live to ride the ocean the mighty world around
To take a little plunder and to hear the cannon sound

To lay with pretty women
to drink Madeira wine
to hear the roller's thunder
on a shore that isn't mine

Privateering, we will go
Privateering, Yoh! oh! ho!
Privateering, we will go
Yeah! oh! oh! ho!

The people on your man o'war are treated worse than scum
I'm no flogging Captain my God I've sailed with [bad word] with me to Barbary we'll ply there up and down
Not quite exactly in the service of the Crown

To lay with pretty women
to drink Madeira wine
to hear the roller's thunder on a shore that isn't mine

Privateering, we will go
Privateering, Yoh! oh! ho!
Privateering, we will go
Yeah! oh! oh! ho!

Look here there's my privateer she's small but she can sting
Licensed to take prizes with a letter from the King
I love the streets and taverns of a pretty foreign town
tip my hat to the dark eyed ladies as we sally up and down

To lay with pretty women
to drink Madeira wine
to hear the roller's thunder on a shore that isn't mine

Privateering, we will go
Privateering, Yoh! oh! ho!
Privateering, we will go
Yeah! oh! oh! ho!

Britannia needs her privateers each time she goes to war
Death to all her enemies no prizes matter [bad word] with me to Barbary we'll ply there up and down
Not quite exactly in the service of the Crown

To lay with pretty women
to drink Madeira wine
to hear the roller's thunder on a shore that isn't mine

Privateering, we will go
Privateering, Yoh! oh! ho!
Privateering, we will go
Yeah! oh! oh! ho!