Same Sea, Different Law - historical pirate ballad

"Same Sea, Different Law" explores the uneasy boundary between privateering and piracy. A sailor who once carried a royal commission could lawfully seize enemy ships and cargo, sharing in the profits of prizes sanctioned by the Crown. But when war ended, peace was declared, or the commission expired, the very acts that had earned royal approval could suddenly be condemned as piracy. The song follows that transformation from the sailor’s perspective: from proud service under the Crown, through the confusion of changing laws, to the choice of continuing life at sea without royal authority. Its central question is not simply who is a pirate, but who has the power to decide when an act is lawful. The sea itself remains unchanged. The ships, weapons, prizes, and sailors remain the same. Only the law, the flag, and the authority behind the act have changed. Same sea. Different law!