The title "High Barbaree" refers to an island by that name. While awaiting rescue Van Johnson tells his fellow survivor about an island that his grand father described to him when he was a young boy. The island, "High Barbaree" is supposed to be close to where they crashed at sea. Van Johnson keeps their spirits up for survival by telling stories of the island and that they were slowly drifting to the island. Naturally, the island is an imaginary tale, but the story keeps Johnson and his fellow crew member alive.