215
The Ship That Never Returned
One of the more successful of Henry C. Work's songs (copy-
righted in 1865). It has been reported as folk song from Kentucky
(Shearin T)^, ASb 146), Tennessee (FSSH 369), North Carolina
(JAFL XXVIII 171-2), Indiana (SFLQ iv 201), Michigan (BSSM
482, listed merely), Virginia (Davis FSV 106, listed), and in Miss
Pound's syllabus. It is doubtless much more widely remembered
than this list indicates. Its popularity is attested by the parodies
it has prompted — see below. The numerous copies of Work's song
in our collection do not differ significantly, so that it will be suffi-
cient to give one of them. Our eleven copies, all with the title
given above, are :
A From the manuscript songbook of Miss Edith Walker of Boone,
Watauga county. Text given below.
B From the manuscript of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley of Durham,
secured by Jesse T. Carpenter, apparently in 1923.
C Secured by Julian P. Boyd, Alliance, Pamlico county, in 1927 from
Catherine Bennett, a pupil in the school there.
D From J. B. Midgett, Jr., of Wanchese, Roanoke Island, in 1922.
E From Loy V. Harris, Durham, of the class of 1924 at Trinity College.
F From O. L. Coffey of Shull's Mills, Watauga county, in 1939.
G From Ruth Efird of Stanly county. Not dated.
H From B. C. Reavis, date and place not indicated. With the tune.
I From EfFie Tucker. Date and place not indicated.
J From the 'My Favorite Song' column of the Monroe Journal (Monroe.
Union county), November, 191 6.
K From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
508 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 On a summer day, as the waves were rippling
By the soft, gentle breeze,
Did a ship set sail with her cargo laden
For a port beyond the seas.
There were sweet farewells, there were loving signals,
And her fate was yet unlearned ;
Though they knew it not, 'twas a solemn party
On the ship that never returned.
Chorus:
Did she ever return? She never returned,
And her fate was yet unlearned.
Though for years and years there were fond ones waiting
For the ship that never returned.
2 Said a feeble lad to his anxious mother,
'I must cross the wide, wide sea ;
For they say, perchance, in a foreign clime
There is health and strength for me.'
'Twas a gleam of hope in a maze of danger
And her heart for her youngest yearned,
Though she sent him forth with a smile and blessing
On the ship that never returned.
3 'Only one more trip,' said a gallant seaman
As he kissed his weeping wife,
'Only one more bag of golden treasure
And 'twill last us all through life.
Then we'll spend our days in our cozy cottage
And enjoy the sweet rest we earned.'
But alas, poor man, who sailed commander
On the ship that never returned.
Of the parodies or imitations of Work's song there are two in
our collection. One might be called 'The Face That Never Re-
turned' :
a
'The Parted Lover.' From the manuscript of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley,
Route 8, Durham, obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter, probably in 1923.
I She was young and fair, he was tall and handsome,
And they loved each other dear.
But he rode away to a foreign country
For to see[k] his fortunes there.
Chorus:
Did he ever return? No, he never returned,
And her heart has often yearned ;
And with anxious eyes she's been watching, longing
For the face that never returned.
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS SOQ
2 Hasty words were passed, caused their separation;
They were words all harmless too,
But they broke the hearts of this loyal couple
That has always been so true.
3 She had said to him, in an angry passion,
That he might forever go,
And his heart was broke with this cruel message,
Yet he left this maiden so.
4 When he roves about over hills and valleys,
Let him go where'er he will,
Still his mind reverts, while his heart is breaking,
Of^ that girl he loved so well.
5 When the evening shade gathers round her^ slowly
Then his heart is filled with pain,
As he thinks of her who has caused this anguish;
Shall he ever see her again?
6 She looks tried^ and worn, and her cheeks are paling,
And her steps are becoming slow,
And her eyes are dim with excessive weeping,
And her voice is soft and low ;
y And at night the tears bathed her cheeks and pillow
While her head is crushed with pain.
And she cries, 'O God, keep my absent lover !
Bring him back to me again.'
8 Now, young men and maids, from my song take warning
Or your hearts will break with pain.
Never speak harsh words to a faithful lover
Or he'll leave you to never return.
b
'Lovers Parted.' Contributed by Professor Abrams from Boone, Watauga
county, some time in 1935 or 1936. It does not differ significantly from a.
The other parody of Work's song in our collection is 'The Train
That Never Returned,' obtained from the manuscripts of Obadiah
Johnson of Crossnore, Avery county, in July 1940. It is also in
part of a memory of 'Casey Jones.' The chorus is the same as that of
'The Parted Lovers.' Perrow (JAFL xxviii 171) printed a text
from North Carolina whites. It is noted elsewhere that the first
stanza and the chorus appear, with some differences, in 'The Wreck
of the Old Ninety-Seven.'
* So the manuscript ; evidently it should be "To."
* One expects "him."
* Miswritten, probably, for "tired."
510 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 I was going round the mountain one cold winter day,
A-watchin' the steam boil up high.
It was from a fast train on the C and O railway,
And the engineer waved me goodby.
Chorus:
Did she never return? No, she never returned,
Tho the train was due at one.
For hours and hours the watchman stood waiting
For the train that never returned.
2 His sweet little wife came up to the station.
Says, 'Last night my heart did yearn ;
I dreamed last night, and it's still in my mem'ry ;
I'm afraid she will never return.'
3 'Go back, sweet wife,' said the drunken conductor
As he waved his cap with delight,
'If the wheels will roll and the engine stay sober
We will all reach home tonight.'
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215
The Ship That Never Returned
H 'The Ship That Never Returned.' Sung by B. C. Reavis. Recorded as MS
score ; no date or place given. The stanza as printed in II 508 is twice as long
as the tune can accommodate. Cf. JAFL xxviii 171-2.
For melodic relationship cf. **ASb 146 (cadence in first phrases of stanza
and chorus are different) ; AMS 42, stanza only.
Scale: Heptachordal. Tonal Center: c. Structure: aba^bi (4>4>4i4) = aa^
(8,8).