I had never heard or heard of "Wir lagen vor Madagaskar" until coming across it in
Lieder, Songs und Gospels 3. This is a light-hearted seasong full of nonsense by Just Scheu. I don't know whether this song is based on a genuine German seasong but the sentiments expressed are genuine enough although things are somewhat exaggerated in the style of
The Irish Rover.
This seasong is about the crew dying one-by-one daily because of fouled-water barrels which had to be drunk after running onto a reef.