236
The Battleship Maine (II)
There are two oral variants of this, a second and dififerent song
on the Maine, 'My Sweetheart Went Down on the Maine,' words
and music by Bert Morgan (Macomb, Illinois: The Morgan Music
Co., c. 1898).
A
'Battleship Maine.' With music. Recorded by O. L. Coflfey at Shull's
Mills, Watauga county, July 18, 1936. MS borrowed and copied later.
This version corresponds to stanzas i and 2 of the copyrighted song,
with a few verbal variations and with a different arrangement of the
chorus. What Mr. Coffey's text designates as chorus is, in the copy-
righted song, the completion of stanza i ; and there are other trans-
positions and arrangements.
1 Once I had a sweetheart, noble, brave, and true,
Fearless as the sunrise, gentle as the dew.
We loved and waited, we had named the day.
And we had pledged to wed each other in the month of
May,
And we had pledged to wed each other in the month of
May.
Chorus:
Out on the high seas he sailed,
Under the red, white, and blue.
Faithful to country and home.
Faithful to captain and crew.
2 Anchored at Havana on a Cuban shore,
Conscious of no danger, dreaming love days o'er,
Peacefully he slumbered on his hammock bed,
While the stars in glowing beauty benediction shed,
While the stars in glowing beauty benediction shed.
3 Then came the death-dealing crash,
Rendering the vessel in twain ;
Down went my sweetheart to death,
Down went the gallant ship Maine.
548 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
'The Gallant Sailor.' Collected by Julian P. Boyd, then of Alliance,
Pamlico county, while he was principal of the school ; from Catherine
Bennett, a pupil, c. 1927-28. This version omits part of stanza i of the
copyrighted original and puts in part of stanza 3 omitted in A.
Once I had a sweetheart, noble, brave, and true,
Fearless as the sunrise, gentle as the dew.
Peacefully he slumbers in his hammock bed.
While the stars in glowing beauty benediction said.
Chorus:
Out on the high seas he sailed,
Under the red, white, and blue,
Faithful to home and country,
Faithful to captain and crew.
2 Anchored at Havana, on the Cuban shore,
Conscious of no danger, dreaming loved days o'er,
Peacefully he slumbers in his hammock bed.
While the stars in glory benediction said.
3 Buried in a foreign land, in an unknown grave.
Where the bells of liberty soon must ring to save,
Peacefully he slumbers in his hammock bed.
While the stars in glory benediction said.
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236
The Battleship Maine (II)
'Battleship Maine.' Sung by O. L. CofYey, with guitar. Recorded at Shull's
Mills, Watauga county, July 18, 1936. This tune shows considerable relation-
ship with that of 236B. The variations given below are taken from a Greer
version and that of an anonymous singer.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: abaccMdi (4,4,
4.4.4,4.4)- Compound structure: an inverted bar flanked on both sides by stro-
phic forms.
'The Battleship Maine.' Sung by Mrs. L. F. Banks. Recorded at Alliance,
Pamlico county, in 1927. There is considerable melodic relationship with 236A.
The text which the singer uses is exactly that of the B version given in II 548,
but the title given is diflferent.
Scale: Heptachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: abacdd^^ (4,4,4,
4,4,4) = aa^b (8,8,8) = mmin = barform.