7A. The Sailor Boy, or, Sweet William (Roud 273; Laws K12; Me I-A19) (Sailing Trade; Sailor's Life; Father Father Build me a Boat; The Pinery Boy; Papa, Papa, Build Me a Boat; A Sailor's Life; I Have No One to Love Me; Captain, Captain Tell Me True; The Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary; Sailin', Sailing's a Weary Life; Sweet Sailor Boy; The Broken-Hearted Lover; Moment's River Side; Soldier Boy; Sweet Soldier Boy; Sailor's Wife; I'll Sit down and Write a Song; Black is the Color)
A. "Sailor Boy." ("It was early in Spring"). Printed by William Goggin of Mary Street, Limerick; c. 1770.
Ba. "Sailing Trade." ("The sailing trade is a weary trade,") chapbook, "Four Excellent New Songs," Edinburgh. Printed by J. Morren, c. 1800; 10 stanzas.
b. "Sailing Trade." ("The sailing trade is a weary trade,") chapbook by R. Hutchinson & Co. Saltmarket Glasgow, 1817. 8 stanzas.
Ca. "The Sailor Boy." ('Down by a christal river side") from Merry Songs No. 15, printed by J. Evans, London, c1810.
b. "The Maid's Lament for her Sailor Boy," ("Down by a crystal river side"), broadside by J. Ctanatch[sic] printer, 2 Monmouth Court, London, 1813-1838.
c. "Sailor Boy," ("Down by a crystal river side" ) Pitts printer, Wholesale Toy and marble war[e]house. 6 Great st Andrew street 7 dils [sic] London, 1819 and 1844.
D. "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary" ("A sailor's life is a merry life") Pitts printer, Wholesale Toy and marble war[e]house. 6 Great st Andrew street 7 dils [sic] London, 1819 and 1844.
E. "The Sailor Boy," (Oh! the sailing trade is a weary life) sung by Tom Sweetman, a Wexford farm worker reported by Patrick Kennedy (1801 Wexford- 1873 Dublin) from his early days in Wexford around 1817. From The Banks of the Boro: A Chronicle of the County of Wexford (1867) completed in 1856. The chapter with Sailor Boy was published in The Dublin University Magazine, August, 1862. Also reprinted in The Universal Irish Song Book: A Complete Collection of the Songs and edited by Patrick Kennedy, NYC, 1898.
F. "Mermuring Side" written by Captain Samuel Bunker, c. 1824 in the log of the whaling ship Alexander of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
G. "A Sailor's Trade Is A Roving Life." (A sailor's trade is a roving life) From the log aboard the whaling ship, Elizabeth, port was New Bedford, Massachusetts 1847, Kendall repository. This is a traditional version of "Sailing Trade" in Songs the Whalemen Sang by Gale Huntington dated 1847. Also printed with additional text in Stuart M. Frank's "Jolly Sailors Bold" (2010) pp.153-155.
H. "Sailor Boy," (It was early, early in the spring,) sung by who learned it in Quebec about 1847 from Folk Songs by C.M. Barbeau; JAFL Volume 30, 1917.
I. "Sailor Boy." (1862) The Monthly Packet of evening readings for younger members of the English Church, January--June 1862, London, by John and Charles Mozley, Paternoster Row. From the chapter, "Life among the Factories" by K. L.
J. "The Sailler Boy" (Dark was the color of my true love's hair) written down by William Larken from Mrs. C. Froyaughehand of Cincinnati, Ohio; 1863. Ruth Ann Musick-The Old Album of William A. Larkin; JAFL Vol. 60, 1947.
K. "Sweet William (The Sailor Boy)" from Mr. C. A. Rogers of Mississippi during the Civil War (c.1864). JAF Kittredge 1917.
L. "Heart-Rending Boat Ballad" from an MS (diary) of William H. Landreth, soldier, recovered in Missouri, c. 1864.
M. "Captain, Captain, Tell me True" from the Brown Collection of NC Folklore, version B, dated c.1865. This is a fragment of only two stanzas reported by Thomas Smith as sung to him by E. B. Miller of Boone, Watauga county, in May 1915. "Mr. Miller heard this song sung during the Civil War by a Mrs. Parsons of Wilkes county."
N. "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love," ("Tis early, early all in the spring) printed by P. Brereton, 1, Lower Exchange St., Dublin. c.1867.
O. "The Pinery Boy" learned in 1867 by Mrs. M.A. Olin of Eau Claire, Wisconsin from Thomas Ward as collected by Franz Rickaby.
P. "Sailor's Trade." Entered into the ship's log by ship-keeper George Wilbur Piper aboard the ship Europa of Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, in 1868-70. From: Stuart M. Frank's "Jolly Sailors Bold" (2010) pp.153-155.
Q. "Early, Early All in the Spring" Sung by Mrs Hollings originally from Lincolnshire (c.1870?); collected by Frank Kidson; published in JFSS, 2 (1906), 293–4.
R. "My Love William." c. 1875. From: Sam Noble, Able Seaman: 'tween Decks in the Seventies : an Autobiography; 1926.
S. "The Sailing Trade" from Traditional Ballad Airs: Volume 1 edited by William Christie, 1876
T. "Sailor Boy," sung by Eileen Bleakney, of Ottawa, Canada, learned from her aunts in Belfast, Ireland c1878. From "Folk-Lore from Ottawa and Vicinity" is The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 31, published April 1, 1918.
U. "The constant lover and her sailor boy," a broadside from Ballad Sheet Scrapbook I: part IV, ITMA. From the Collection of Patrick Weston Joyce (1827- 1914) an Irish music collector. Dated c. 1880 by chronology presented.
V. "Sailor Boy" from Christine Chaplin Brush of Maine then Massachusetts. From the 1889 book, "Inside Our Gate" by Christine Chaplin Brush; publishing by Roberts Brothers in Boston.
W. "The Sailor Boy" from Ashton's "Real Sailor Songs" of 1891. Cf. B, The Sailing Trade
X. "Sweet William" collected by Lucy Broadwood, English Country Songs, Leadenhall Press, London, 1893.
Y. "Sweet William," from J. Woodrich, of Lew Trenchard Devon, c. 1894; Collected Baring Gould, MS version A. (also attributed to Sam Fone c. 1895 and may be a compilation of sorts)
Z. "My Fine Sailor Boy," Hugh Quinn (Belf) c.1895 Rawn
AA. "A Sailor's Life" sung by Henry Hills of Lodsworth from W. P. Merrick in November 1899. From Vol. 1, No. 3, Songs from the Collection of W. P. Merrick (1901), pp. 66-138. Published by: English Folk Dance + Song Society.
BB. "My Sweet William," first extant version published version in North America and curiously, it is from an African-American source in North Carolina. From: The Young Woman's Journal, Volume 11, dated 1900 by Mrs. Henry Purmort Eames. It was collected by Henry Purmort Eames probably before 1898.
CC. "The Sailor Boy." Communicated by Mr. J. Harrison Miller, Wardensville, Hardy County, June, 1917; brought into the community sixteen years before by Matilda Heishman. From Folk Songs of the South, Cox 1925.
DD. "The Sailor Boy." Reported by Miss Williams in 1903 from Clinton County, where it was 'a neighborhood song when the singer was young.' Belden A, Ballads and Songs, 1940.
EE. "Sweet William." sung by Tom Sprachlan at Hambridge, Somerset in Sept., 1903.From Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/10/28), text and music.
FF. "A Sailor's Life," sung by Jake Toms of Bere Regis, Dorset in August, 1905. From: Henry Hammond Manuscript Collection (HAM/2/5/28).
GG. "Early Early All in the Spring," sung by Jane Gulliver of Combe Florey, Somerset in April 1905. Collected by Henry and Robert Hammond. Hammond Collection MS: http://library.efdss.org/archives/ MSS Ref: HAM/2/1/1
HH. "A Sailor's Life." MS sent in to Lucy E. Broadwood by Mrs. Small of Petworth Sussex, April 1905. From: Lucy Broadwood Manuscript Collection (LEB/5/376).
II. "Sailor Boy," sung by Miss Ann Hiles of Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire on September 2, 1905. Collected by Percy Grainger. From: Percy Grainger Manuscript Collection (PG/1/93).
JJ. "Sweet William," sung by Robert Slade of Dorchester Workhouse, Dorset in December of 1906. From Henry Hammond Manuscript Collection (HAM/4/29/2).
KK. Sweet William - sung by Job Read of Southampton Workhouse, Hampshire on June 14, 1906. From George Gardiner Manuscript Collection (GG/1/7/361). Has "jovial seamen," 2nd stanza.
LL. "Sweet William," sung by William Bone of Medstead, Hampshire (66) about November 1907. George Gardiner Manuscript Collection (GG/1/17/1097). Charles Gamblin visited Bone in 1907 and was Gardiner's music transcriber.
MM. Sweet William- George Baldwin (8 stanzas) of Tichborne, Hampshire in June 1907. From: George Gardiner Manuscript Collection (GG/1/12/715).
NN. Down By Some River- sung by Mr. Flint of Lyne, Surrey in 1907 taken down by R.V. Williams. From Ralph Vaughan Williams Manuscript Collection (at British Library) (RVW2/1/71). Reprinted in Folk Songs Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams by Roy Palmer - 1983.
OO. "Sailing Trade," sung by "Bob" Chree of Milltown, Glenbuchat before 1907. My date, probably dates 1860s. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 516 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002.
PP. Early all in the Spring- sung by Archer 'Daddy' Lane of Winchombe, Gloucestershire on 5 April, 1908. [My title- replacing the obviously wrong "Died for Love" title. From Percy Grainger's Folk Music Research in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, 1907-1909 by Gwilym Davies in Folk Music Journal, Vol. 6, No. 3 (1992), pp. 339-358.
QQ. The Sailing Trade- sung by Annie Shirer of Kininmouth (1833-1915) about 1908. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 483 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002. Annie Shirer of Kininmouth (1833-1915), daughter of William Shirer, was a collector and singer.
RR. The Sailing Trade- Written down by Greig about 1908, no source named. My date, location--no informant named. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 483 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002.
SS. "The Broken Hearted Lover," sung by Jonathan Anderson of Aberdeenshire (?) about 1908, collected Grieg. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 484 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002.
TT. "Young Sailor Boy," sung by Mrs. Duncan, New Deer, taken down by Earnest Coutts, Grieg's son-in-law. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 485 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002.
UU. Sweet William- No informant, no source info (location Roud, note attached) from George Gardiner Manuscript Collection (GG/1/21/1453).
VV. "The Sailing Trade," sung by Miss Kate Mitchell of Aberdeenshire[1] circa 1909. Collected by Gavin Greig. My date, location. From The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection - Volume 8 - page 516 by Patrick N. Shuldham-Shaw, Emily B. Lyle - 2002. Song No. 1245
WW. "O Father, Father, Build me a Boat," sung by Mrs Collinson of Casterton, Westmorland in June, 1909. Collector: Anne Gilchrist. From: Anne Geddes Gilchrist Collection (AGG/8/1/25). Dated from another collected song.
XX. "The Sailor Boy." From the manuscript ballad book of Ada Belle Cowden of Woodlandville, Boone County, compiled about 1909 and secured for me by Miss Laws. From Belden's "Songs and Ballads," p. 186. Belden B
YY. "The Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love" (The night is long and I can find no rest) broadside by E.C. Yeats Cuala Press County Dublin, 1909.
ZZ. "Father Get Me a Little Boat" from Suffolk area c.1909 No informant, source info. From George Butterworth Manuscript Collection (GB/4/54) [4 1/2 stanzas] Butterworth collected in the Southwold, Suffolk area, sometimes accompanied by Vaughan Williams, or Francis Jekyll.
AAA. "The Sailor's Trade." Secured by Miss Hamilton in 1909 from Mary Van Wormser of the West Plains High School, who wrote it down 'as sung to her by her grandfather.' From Belden's "Songs and Ballads," p. 188. Belden C.
BBB. "A Song of the Sea." Written from memory by Mrs. W. A. Fisher. Published in 1909- probably 100 years older. From "Heart Songs, Dear to the American People" by Joseph Mitchell Chapple (1909), p 67; Boston, MA.
CCC. "Sailor Boy," sung about 1910 by Annie Taylor of Strathdon, Aberdeenshire in October, 1953. Learned from her mother when she was ten years old.
From School of Scottish Studies; Original Tape ID - SA1953.243
DDD. "It Was Early, Early All In The Spring," sung by Frederick Yeldman of Thaxted, Essex on July 12, 1911. Collected by Clive Carey. From: Clive Carey Manuscript Collection (CC/1/94).
EEE. "A Sea Song," sung by Andrew Dobson of Churt, Surrey on September 19, 1912. From: Clive Carey Manuscript Collection (CC/1/256), a version of Oikotype D.
FFF. "California Boy." Contributed by Miss Celestine McDonald in 1914 from Vernon County. An adaptation, apparently to the time of the Forty-niners. From Belden's "Songs and Ballads," p. 188.
GGG. "Sailor Boy" No local title, dated 1914. Communicated by Professor Walter Barnes, Fairmont, Marion County; obtained from Miss Daisy Watkins, who got it from her mother. From Folk Songs of the South, Cox 1925.
HHH. "Song Ballet [Soldier Life]," sung by Ethel Edwards of Georgia on February 19, 1914. From: Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at VWML) (CJS1/11/123). This MS was given to Olive Dame Campbell by Isabel Rawn of Mount Berry, Georgia.
III. "Oh, Father, Go Build me a Boat." Contributed by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, in 1915 as "written down by Miss Mae Smith, Sugar Grove, N. C, from the singing of Mrs. Mary Smith. From Brown Collection of NC Folklore Volume 2, Ballads, 1952, version A.
JJJ. "The Sweet Sailor Boy," from I. G. Greer Collection c. 1915. My date. From unknown informant whose MS is in I. G. Greer Collection: Sailor Boy, Lyric Variant 02 and 03 (same text).
KKK. "Sailor Boy." MS from A.K. Moore [edited] from I. G. Greer collection about 1915. From MS in I. G. Greer Collection: Sailor Boy, Lyric Variant 04.
LLL. "Sweet Willie," from I. G. Greer collection about 1915 (Sailor Boy, Lyric Variant 05 and 06). From two MS in I. G. Greer Collection: Sailor Boy, Lyric Variant 05 titled "Bring Me Back the One I Love" and 06 a handwritten copy titled "Sweet Willie." AC.113. Isaac Garfield Greer Papers, 1853-1978.
MMM. "Sailor Boy." Collected from John Puffet of Lechlade, Gloucestershire by Alfred Williams-- published in 1916. From: Wiltshire Community History; WSRO: 2598/36 Packet 2 - Gloucestershire: Williams, A: MS collection No Gl 115. Also Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, 12th February, 1916, p 3, Part 18, No. 6.
NNN. "A Soldier's Trade." Sung by Mr. WILLIAM F. WELLS, at Swannanoa, N. C, Sept. 9, 1916. My title. From EFSSA, 1917, 1932 Sharp A.
OOO. "Soldier Boy." Sung by Mrs. ROSIE HENSLEY at Carmen, N. C, Aug. 10, 1916. My title. From EFSSA, 1917, 1932 Sharp B, the same text (see sharp's MS) was sung by Mrs. Reuben Hensley.
PPP. "Sailor Boy," obtained in 1916 from Miss Mabel Tuggle, Detroit, who had heard the song sung by an older sister at Concord Depot, Virginia. From Ballads & Songs of Southern Michigan by Gardner and Chickering, 1939.
QQQ. "Moment's River Side." Communicated by Mr. Fred Smith, Glenville, Gilmer County, 1917; obtained from Miss Lucretia Collins. From Folk Songs of the South, Cox 1925.
RRR. "Sailor Boy." Sung by Mrs. Fanny Coffey at White Rock, Va., May 8, 1918. My title. Single stanza with music from EFSSA, 1932 Sharp G. The additional stanzas are given from Sharp's MS.
SSS. "Sweet Willie." Sung by Mrs. Nannie Weaver at Woolwine. Patrick Co., Va., Aug. 25th 1918. My title. Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/9/3174). This is a rare version of C.
TTT. "Sailor Boy." Secured by Miss Lowry in 1920 from Earl Cruickshank of Columbus, Kansas. From Belden's "Songs and Ballads," p. 188. Belden's notes follow. Version of Oikotype E.
UUU. "Sailor Boy." Sung to Miss Eddy by Mr. Henry Maurer, Perrysville, Ohio before 1922. From Journal of American Folklore, 1922 in the article Traditional Texts and Tunes, by Tolman.
VVV. "Sailor Boy," by Mrs. J. B. O'Connell of Indianapolis, published on June 19, 1922. My title, none given. Sent to: "A Hoosier Listening Post." Published June 19, 1922 in The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana.
WWW. "The Prentice Boy." Contributed in 1923 by Mrs. Charles K. Tillett of Wanchese, Roanoke Island. From Brown Collection of NC Folklore Volume 2, Ballads, 1952.
XXX. "A Soldier's Life." Communicated by Miss Jessie McCue, Hookersville, Nicholas County, November 10, 1925. Music noted by Miss Lydia I. Hinkel. From: Traditional Ballads & Folk Songs Mainly from West Virginia- John Harrington Cox- 1939
YYY. "Oh Captain, Captain, Tell me True" From the recording sung by Vernon Dalhart in December of 1925 in Camden, NJ and released on Victor 19951 in March, 1926. A composite with first two stanza of Sailor Boy.
ZZZ. "Sailor Boy,' sung by Mrs. L.A. Thomas of Anderson, Missouri. Collected August 5, 1928 by Randolph.
My title. From Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 1, British Ballads and Songs.
AAAA. "Early One Morning," sung by Nelson Ridley of Wineham, Kent, composite learned before c. 1928. My abbreviated title. From: Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland by Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, 1977.
BBBB. "Sweet Willie," as sung by Mrs. G.L. Bostic, Mooresboro, Cleveland Co.; full text in MS by Betty Bostic, her granddaughter. From Brown Collection Volume 4, 1956 as "Black-Eyed Susan",
CCCC. "Sailor Boy," sung by Mrs. Curran at Conception Harbour, 28th October 1929. My title, replacing "Sweet William" which not found in this text, only "Willie" is found. From: Folk Songs from Newfoundland, by Karpeles, 1934.
DDDD. "Soldier Lover." Obtained from Miss Mary King, Gatlinburg, Sevier County, Tennessee, August, 1929.
From: Mellinger Henry's 1938 book, "Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands."
EEEE. "Sweet Soldier Boy." Obtained August 1, 1930, from Mrs. Ewart Wilson, wife of the grandson of "Big Tom" Wilson. From: Mellinger Henry's 1938 book, "Folk Songs from the Southern Highlands."
FFFF. "Father Build Me a Boat." No informant named. From: Herbert Hughes', "Irish Country Songs Volume 4," Boosey & Co., 1930, pp. 13-17.
GGGG. "Sailor Lad," sung by Muriel Henneberry, aged 12, Devil's Island, collected by Creighton about 1930. From Creighton's 1933 book, Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia.
HHHH. "Little Willie," reprinted from a text sent in by Polly Morris of Yellow Branch, Virginia about 1931. My title. From Scarborough's "A Song Catcher" 1938. Songs dated circa 1931 by Bronson.
IIII. "Sailor Bold." Sung by Mrs. Chas. Kelley of Yarmouth, who has often heard this sung as a chanty by the men of sailing vessels. From Creighton's 1933 book, Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia.
JJJJ. "Soldier Boy," sung by Mrs. Nathan Hicks (Rena Hicks) of Rominger, NC in December, 1933. From an MS in Abrams Collection; written down from the version in Mellinger Henry's 1933 book, "Songs Sung in he Southern Appalachians."
KKKK. "Careless Love" (Sailor Boy composite) sung by Edward Tufts, Banner Elk, NC, July 15, 1933. [From Beech Mountain Folk Songs and Ballads, by M. Henry and M. Matteson, G. Shirmer 1936.
LLLL. "The Sailor Boy." Contributed by Mrs. R. M. Johnson, of Franklin, Indiana. Johnson County. Learned from the singing of her mother, Mrs. Nancy Prichard Coleman. October 31,1935. From Brewster: Ballads and Songs of Indiana, 1940.
MMMM. "The Soldier Boy (Father, oh, father)" sung by Emma Dusenbery with John Powell in August, 1936 recorded by John Lomax.
NNNN. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair- sung by Uncle Rube Cassity of West Liberty, Morgan, KY on October 23, 1937. From Alan Lomax Kentucky Recordings, 1937-1942.
OOOO. "Sailor's Trade," Sung by Mrs. Kathleen Denoon, Springfield, Mo., Aug. 18, 1938. My title. From Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 1, Randolph C.
PPPP. "Henry Dear," text written down from Frances Repetto of Tristan da Cunha about 1938; Tune: Alice Swain (Glass). From: The Song Tradition of Tristan da Cunha; Peter Munch, 1970.
QQQQ. "My Boy Willie," sung by Joe Heaney of Galway, learned at home from his father by 1938. From JoeHeaney.org online.
RRRR. "My Boy Willie." No informant named. From Irish street ballads by Colm O Lochlainn, editor, 1939.
SSSS. "Sweet Willie." From the manuscript book of songs of Miss Edith Walker of Boone, Watauga county. From Brown Collection of NC Folklore Volume 2, Ballads, 1952.
TTTT. "Sweet William." Contributed by Mrs. Ruth Tyler, Neosho, Mo., Jan. 1, 1939. My title. From Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 1.
UUUU. "Sailor's Trade." From Mrs. Elizabeth Koffel, Canton, Ohio. My title, none given. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939.
VVVV. "Sailor's Trade." From Mrs. L. A. Lind, Canton, Ohio. Sung by her father. My title, none given. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939.
WWWW. "Sweet William." From Mrs. S. T. Topper, Ashland, Ohio.My title, none given. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939.
XXXX. "Father Father Build Me a Boat" (Sailor Boy I) - recitation performance by Ellen M Sullivan at Springfield (Vt.). Dated 11-10-1939. From: Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College Special Collections & Archives,
YYYY. "Sweet William." From Mrs. Lawrence Davis, Perrysville, Ohio.[My title, none given. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939.
ZZZZ. "Lost Willie." From the manuscript of Mrs. Florence Landis McKee, through the kindness of Mrs. Wm. Stork, Canton, Ohio. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939.
AAAAA. "I'll Sit Down and Write a Song," sung by Lean Bourne Fish of East Jaffrey, New Hampshire in 1940. From Traditional American Folk Songs p. 149-150, Anne Warner, editor. Syracuse University Press, 1984. Also recorded in 1940 and 1943 (listen online) by Flanders as "I Mourn My Sailor Boy."
BBBBB. "A Sailor Boy," sung by Dick Duncan (1922-1988) about 1940. Duncan was born in West March of Gardyne, Kirkden, and raised in Angus. He was a farm servant. From School of Scottish Studies; Original Tape ID - SA1973.015, Recorded in 1973 by Hamlish Henderson.
CCCCC. "Willie on the Sea." Sung by Mr. Will Thompson of Canaan, Vermont on April 23, 1942. From: Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College Special Collections & Archives D22A- cassette dub. Track 04
DDDDD. "Sweet Willie," from Alice Ridgeway Tucker, who lived in Davidsonville, Maryland before 1944. From Maryland Legends and Folk Songs, Carey, 1971.
EEEEE. "The Sailor’s Trade is a Weary Life," sung by Roseina Reber of Santa Clara, on August 19, 1947. From Ballads and Songs from Utah, Hubbard, 1961.
FFFFF. "Sailor Shantey," sung by Mrs. Gertrude Crooks of Point Clear, Alabama on July 7, 1947. From: An Alabama Songbook: Byron Arnold, 1950--new edition by Robert W. Halli Jr., 2004.
GGGGG. "A Sailor's Life," c. 1948, from a two page MS in Collinson Collection online. No source info given, my date. From: Francis Collinson Manuscript Collection (COL/5/48)
HHHHH. "The Sailor's Wife," sung by Charles S. Brink, recorded by Samuel Bayard on Feb. 12, 1949. From: Samuel Preston Bayard Folklore Recordings (YouTube) Charles S. Brink #2
IIIII. "Sailor Boy." No informant named. From Texas Folk Songs by William A. Owens, 1950.
JJJJJ. "Dear Father, Pray Build Me a Boat," sung by 7 year old Sheila Smith of Sussex in 1952. From the recording "I’m A Romany Rai," TSCD672D. Recorded by Peter Kennedy at a Gypsy camp along side a house at Laughton near Lewes, Sussex.
KKKKK. "My Willie Boy," sung by Jimmy MacBeath (1894- 1972) of Moray on October 10, 1952, who learned the song from his mother and regrets not having more of it. From School of Scottish Studies; Original Tape ID - SA1952.028.
LLLLL. "O Father, O Father, Go Build Me a Boat," sung by Mrs. Miner Griffin of Conway, Ark. on 12/12/53, From Ozark Folk Song Collection; Reel 178 Item 4. Collected by Mary Celestia Parler.
MMMMM. "Oh, Father, Father, Build Me a Boat," (Learned from grandmother) Informant's grandmother not known, name of informant missing. From: West Virginia Folklore - Volumes 4-9, page 16, 1953. This is a variant of Oikotype C.
NNNNN. "Come, Father, Build Me a Boat," Sung by Charles Scamp of Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent on January 15, 1954 as recorded by Peter Kennedy and Maud Karpeles.
OOOOO. "Sailor Boy," sung by Geordie Robertson (b. 1871) of New Deer Aberdeenshire in August 1954; recorded by Hamish Henderson. From: School of Scottish Studies; Original Track ID - SA1954.99.B6
PPPPP. "William Boy," sung by Maggie Stewart, 1954 her mother's song (Jeannie Robertson) From School of Scottish Studies; Original Tape ID - SA1954.102.
QQQQQ. "Sweet William," Sung by Mrs. L„ A. Stewart, Hartford, Ohio Co., May, 1955. From Kentucky Folklore Record - Volumes 3-4 - Page 95, 1957.
RRRRR. "A Soldier's Life," sung by Barry Satterfield of Bluff Springs, Ark. on April 14, 1955. From Ozark Folk Song Collection; Reel 225, Item 2. Collected by Mary Celestia Parler.
SSSSS. "Black is the Color," sung by a Missouri woman with a guitar (McCord?); from a 1956 field recording in the possession of the late Bill Godsey, Champaign, Illinois before late 1950s.
TTTTT. "Sailor's Life," sung by Elsie Morrison (1885- 1964) of Nether Dallachy, Moray in April of 1956. Recorded by Hamish Henderson. From School of Scottish Studies;Track ID: 20025.
UUUUU. "Sailor Boy," from May Kennedy McCord (1880-1979) of Springfield, Missouri about 1959. Recorded by Evelyn Beers in 1960. Recorded by Max Hunter in 1958, his version D.
VVVVV. "Early, Early All In The Spring," sung by David Hammond of Belfast with guitar accompaniment, 1958. From the 1958 Tradition TLP 1028 LP recording, "I Am the Wee Falorie Man" Folk Songs of Ireland, by David Hammond.
WWWWW. "Willie Boy." As sung by Mrs. Lucy Quigley, Eureka Springs, Arkansas on June 3, 1958. Missouri State; Max Hunter Folk Song Collection, version A; Cat. #0107 (MFH #682).
XXXXX. "A Sailor's Life." from Mary Jo Davis of Fayetteville, Arkansas. From Folkways SA 2338; American Folk Songs and Ballads, by Joan O'Bryant, 1958.
YYYYY. "The Soldier Boy." Sung by Mrs. Attie Dillingham of Fayetteville, Arkansas June 5, 1959 "My mother, Mrs. Jane Hart, sang it back in Kentucky." From Ozark Folk Song Collection; Reel 196, Item 9. Collected by Mary Celestia Parler.
ZZZZZ. "Sailor Boy." As sung by Harrison Burnett, Fayetteville, Arkansas on June 15, 1959. From Max Hunter Folk Song Collection, version E; Cat. #0363 (MFH #682).
AAAAAA. "The Lost Sailor." [Australia] collected from Simon McDonald, Creswick, Victoria in 1959. From Norm O'Connor folklore collection online.
BBBBBB. "The Sailor Boy," sung by Lucy Stewart (1901-1982) of Fetterangus, Aberdeenshire on December 26, 1959; recorded by Kenneth Goldstein. From: School of Scottish Studies; Original Track ID - SA1960.141.B1
CCCCCC. "The Sailor Boy (Sweet Willie)." Sung by William Riley of Lance au Loup, June 1960. From: Folk Ballads & Songs of the Lower Labrador Coast, by MacEdward Leach, 1965.
DDDDDD. "Sweet Soldier Boy" sung by Lee Monroe Presnell of Beech Mountain recorded about 1961 by Sandy Paton. From The Traditional Music of Beech Mountain, North Carolina, I, Folk-Legacy Records.
EEEEEE. "My True Sailor Boy," sung by Mrs. Susie Evans Daley of Tulsa before 1962. From "Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest," by the Moores, 1964.
FFFFFF. "Papa, Papa, Build Me a Boat," sung by Dock Boggs of Norton, Virginia on June 3, 1964, recorded by Mike Seeger. Learned from Charlie Powers. Dock Boggs, Volume 2 (Folkways LP FA 2392, published 1965).
GGGGGG. "Soldier Boy." Sung by Buna Hicks, October 29, 1966, and August 26, 1968; learned from her father, Andrew Jackson Presnell. From: Folksongs - Volume 2, page 61 by Thomas G. Burton, Ambrose N. Manning, 1971.
HHHHHH. "My Love Willie." As sung by Danny Brazil of Gloucester on April 27, 1966. From: Peter Shepheard's recording "Folk Songs and Ballads of the Brazil Family of Gloucester" (1967).
IIIIII. "Sweet William," from Margaret Birkett of Elterwater—the wife of Frank Birkett, sung live by Mike Waterson, 1969 and 1974. From: Mike Waterson 1969 recording live at Folk Union One in 1969 (the former Watersons' own folk club held at the Blue Bell)
JJJJJJ. "A Sailor's Life," sung by R. J. Shinn, of Cottageville WV, August 1969. From Michael "Jim" Bush, Folk Songs of Central West Virginia II, c1972.
KKKKKK. "Boatman, Boatman." As sung by O.B. Campbell, Vinita, Oklahoma on August 9, 1971. From Max Hunter Folk Song Collection, version F; Cat. #1183 (MFH #682).
LLLLLL. "Early in the Month of Spring." Sung by Mikeen McCarthy, (Peggy Delaney’s brother), Cahirciveen, Co Kerry. Learned from his father. From the recording "From Puck To Appleby" originally on casette, a recording of Irish Travellers in England, made circa 1974 by Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie.
MMMMMM. "O Father, Build me a Boat." sung by Gainer's great-aunt Mary Wilson before 1975. From Folk Songs from the West Virginia Hills, 1975 by Patrick Gainer.
NNNNNN. "A Sailor's Life." Sung by R. J. Shinn, of Cottageville WV, August 1969. From Michael "Jim" Bush, Folk Songs of Central West Virginia II, c1972.
OOOOOO. "Sweet William,"sung by Phoebe Smith (vocal) from north of Woodbridge in Suffolk, c. 1975, recorded Mike Yates. From: The Travelling Songster: An Anthology from Gypsy Singers, Jasper Smith, Levy Smith, Minty Smith, Phoebe Smith 1975-76.
PPPPPP. "Early, Early in the Spring." Sung by Norman Perks of Gloucestershire, 1975. Recorded by Yates. My date. From the recording VTC5CD, When the wind blows, ‘An anthology of traditional folk music from Coastal England.’
QQQQQQ. "Willie, the Bold Sailor Boy," sung by Liz Jefferies, of Bristol, 1976. From a 1976 recording of Liz Jefferies in her own home in Bristol, recorded by Barry and Chris Morgan. On 1998 Topic anthology O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green (The Voice of the People Series Volume 3)/TOPIC TSCD-653 1998 "Tragic Ballads."
RRRRRR. "My Boy Willie," sung by Maggie McPhee, published in 1977, MacColl/Seeger. From: Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland by Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, 1977.
SSSSSS. "Little Boy Billee," sung by Bob Roberts of Suffolk in 1977. From: Bob Roberts songs from the Sailing Barges TSDL361
TTTTTT. "Willie-O," as sung by Maggie Murphy, Tempo, Co Fermanagh, 1982; recorded by Keith Summers in the singer's cottage. From The Hardy Sons of Dan, MTCD329-0, Summers.
UUUUUU. "A Sailor's Trade is a Weary Life" sung by Anita Best & Pamela Morgan with piano accompaniment, taken from Power and Brennan of Newfoundland in 1983. From the 2010 CD "The Colour of Amber" sung by Anita Best & Pamela Morgan with piano accompaniment.
VVVVVV. "One Fine Morning Early in Spring" sung by Fred Whiting of Suffolk. From the recording VT130CD, Who Owns the Game? ‘Traditional songs and melodeon tunes from Central Suffolk’ --field recordings 1985-87 by John Howson.
WWWWWW. "O Captain, Captain," sung by Mabel Skelton (1919-1988), of Arbroath, Angus. Mabel Skelton learned the song, which she describes as a sea shanty, from her uncle, a whaler. From School of Scottish Studies; Original Tape ID - SA1985.253.
XXXXXX. "Sailin', Sailin's a Weary Life." Sung by Elizabeth Stewart of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire Feb. 25, 1987. Recorded by Peter R. Cooke; Akiko Takamatsu. From: School of Scottish Studies; 1988.06.11 - Track ID: 94148
YYYYYY. "Sweet William." Sung by Fred Jordan of Shropshire. From the Veteran recording VTD148CD: A Shropshire Lad; ‘English Folk Singer’ Fred Jordan, c. 1990.
ZZZZZZ. "My Love Willie," sung by Tim Lyons at The Trinity Inn on 4 December 1998. ITMA Reference Number: 1209-ITMA-MP3, recording.
AAAAAAA. "Sweet William," sung by Viv Legg of North Cornwall. From: the recording VT153CD, Romany Roots 'Cornish Family songs’ 2001.
BBBBBBB. "My Sailor Boy." Sung by Anne Wilson at Tom Maye's Pub, Dublin, on 4 October, 2002. ITMA Reference Number: 1595-ITMA-MP3, recording.
A print by James Guthrie, Illustrated by Jack Yeats, 1909
[This British ballad, known by five main titles "Sailor Boy," "Sailing Trade," "A Sailor's Life" "Early, Early all in the Spring[1]" and "Sweet William," is about a young lady's loss of her love, a sailor boy. After her sailor boy goes to sea and doesn't return, his love asks her father to build a boat. She sails until she hails a vessel and inquires about her sailor boy. When asked to describe him she usually answers with a variant of "The colour of amber" text[2]. Upon learning his ship has sunk and he is dead, she steers her little boat on the rocks in great despair crying, "How can I live with my Willie/Jimmy gone?" After writing a farewell letter or song, she either mourns the loss of her lover or then jumps overboard. In some versions reminiscent of "Butcher Boy," she hangs herself or in others-- she dies for love. The rare versions with the hanging, found in tradition but not in the broadsides, are adapted from the Died for Love songs "Butcher Boy" or "Maiden's Prayer." After the hanging or the farewell "letter/song writing" stanza follows the "Go dig a grave" stanza which is usually the ending. In many versions her death is implied and she simply has "died for love."
Since the song is about a sailor who dies at sea, it seems possible that the suicide theme may have been an extension of "The Cruel Father" variant[3] of Died for Love rather than "The Rambling Boy" or "Butcher Boy." The other stanza in common with Died for Love that's not as obvious is the "writing a letter/note (or song)" stanza which the maid does one or two stanzas after she learns her sailor boy has drowned. This is similar to the writing of the suicide note by the maid before she hangs herself in the Died for Love songs such as Butcher Boy and Maiden's Prayer. In Died for Love the suicide is also found in the older ballads: Cruel Father (different scenario) and Rambling Boy. In Sailor Boy, after learning of her Willie's death, the maid runs her ship against the rocks but surprisingly this is not her demise. In two broadside types, C and D, she jumps overboard and drowns. In the popular English D version, after she drowns, she lands underwater in her Sweet Willies arms and falls asleep (dies in his arms). Some versions of A and B have a stanza where the maid, the captain and the sailors mourn the death of the sailor boy.
The ballad story of 7A, The Sailor Boy may be an extension of Died for Love B, The Cruel Father and it's possible, although unlikely, that 7A was born of B. In B, a maid's cruel father finds out that his daughter has fallen in love with an apprentice of low social standing and separates them by pressing the young man to sea where he becomes a sailor aboard a man-of-war. During a battle the daughter's lover is slain by a cannonball. Some versions of 7A mention the sailor boy has died during a battle but in most versions he dies a mysterious death by drowning. The Captain tells her that her sailor boy was last seen at yon green island that they passed. The Sailor Boy has, in most cases, has drowned or is missing and presumed dead. In some versions he has died with other sailors which indicates either he died in a battle or a storm. A number of versions have changed "sailor boy" to "soldier boy" where death by battle seems likely. If B, Cruel Father, was a parallel ballad or antecedent of the late 1600s or early 1700s Sailor Boy, then it better explains the common stanza and attached Died for Love stanzas that make up many traditional endings. Curiously, the suicide by hanging stanza associated with B, Cruel Father, that is found in some versions of Sailor Boy (see: Mrs. Hollings' English version), is not from Cruel Father but rather from E, Butcher Boy, a ballad found in North America which originated in the UK but disappeared. In the Mike Waterson version the hanging suicide more resembles the Maiden's Prayer. Even if the remote possibility that Cruel Father and Sailor Boy were distantly related is true-- they are different ballads.
It seems a song[4] that was adapted by John Gay (1685- 1732) and published in 1720 is taken from a probable antecedent to Sweet William, the Sailor Boy. Among the opening lines are the obvious antecedent lines 4-6. The poetry was set to music by Richard Leverage[5], a famous bass singer from the London stage and is usually titled "Black-Eyed Susan." From John Gay's "Poems on Several Occasions" (London: Jacob Tonson and Bernard Lintot, 1720) come these lines:
Sweet William's Farewell to Black-ey'd Susan: A Ballad
1 All in the Downs the fleet was moor'd,
2 The streamers waving in the wind,
3 When black-ey'd Susan came aboard.
4 Oh! where shall I my true love find!
5 Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true,
6 If my sweet William sails among the crew?
The rest of Gay's poem is not textually related but still tells the same story-- the parting of the sailor, Sweet William and his love. Gay's poem as well as two archaic traditional versions of C from the US reveal some of the text of the unknown missing English broadside which would be dated c.1680s to 1718. Some fifty years later a number of early broadsides and chapbooks began to be printed including my A-D and N. Here is a partial list[6]:
1. "Sailor Boy." ("It was early in Spring"). Printed by William Goggin of Mary Street, Limerick; c. 1770. [Oikotype A]
2. "Sailing Trade," ("The sailing trade is a weary trade,") from the chapbook, "Four Excellent New Songs," Edinburgh. Printed by J. Morren, c. 1800. [Oikotype B]
3. "Sailor Boy," ("Down by a crystal river side") from a song collection printed by Evans c. 1810. [Oikotype C]
4. "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary," ("A sailor's life is a merry life") printed J. Harkness, printer, Preston: Printed at 121, Church-street; between 1840 and 1866 and also by Pitts. [Oikotype D]
5. "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love," ("'Tis early, early all in the Spring") printed c.1867 by P. Brereton, 1, Lower Exchange St., Dublin. [Oikotype A]
6. "The Sailor Boy and his Faithful Nancy," a Catnach broadside--Harvard College, 25242.17, vii, 198. [Unknown]
7."The constant lover and her sailor boy." from Ballad Sheet Scrapbook I: part IV, ITMA. From the Collection of Patrick Weston Joyce (1827- 1914) an Irish music collector. Dated c. 1880 by chronology presented. [Oikotype A]
8. "The Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love" ("'Tis early, early all in the Spring") printed by James Guthrie, Illustrated by Jack Yeats, 1909 County Dublin [Oikotype A]-- [see image at top of this page].
These and other extant broadsides began to be printed about 1770 (see my A, titled "Sailor Boy," from Limerick) and do not have stanzas of Died for Love stanzas in them with the exception of the "letter/song writing" stanza -- which in Butcher Boy is the writing of her suicide note. In some Sailor Boy versions the reason for writing the note or song is not always clear-- since she does not commit suicide but rather mourns with the sailors for the loss of her sweet Willie boy. The broadsides represent four different oikotypes of Sailor Boy/Sweet William which correspond to my A to D print versions.
Oikotype A: Irish. Begins with "Early, early in the spring" and is represented by the Irish broadsides "Sailor Boy" by Goggins c.1770, also "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love," printed by P. Brereton in Dublin c.1867 and "The constant lover and her sailor boy" from Ballad Sheet Scrapbook I: part IV, from the Collection of Patrick Weston Joyce (1827- 1914) an Irish music collector; dated c. 1880 by chronology presented. The opening two lines (and sometimes the first stanza) are also found in a different sailor's song, Early, Early in the Spring (Laws M1 Roud #152), whose antecedent is the late 17th century Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. See those opening lines also in Croppy Boy, which is an adaptation. What need to be made clear is: The Seaman's Complaint is not part of Sailor Boy and only has the opening lines in common-- they are different ballads. Some recent song notes date The Sailor Boy back to "the bombardment of Cartagena, Colombia, during Admiral Vernon's 1740 expedition." This apparently is a reference to a text from Logan's Pedlar's Pack of 1869, The Disappointed Sailor, in which the ship's destination is Cartagena (1741)-- this text is related to Seaman's Complaint, a different ballad. The Sailor Boy dates back to the late 1600s early 1700s through John Gay's recreation. The "Early, Early" stanza, although an identifier of Irish versions, appears to have been originally part of the unknown English antecedent, a missing broadside used by Gay for his recreation, Black-eyed Susan.
Oikotype B: Scottish. Begins with "The sailing trade is a weary trade," and is represented by "Sailing Trade" printed by J. Morren, c.1800 in an Edinburgh chapbook. The opening also appears with changes such as, "A sailor's life is a weary life" which is similar to the opening of Oikotype D, "A sailor's life is a merry life." Among the 10 stanzas of Oikotype B is the "color of amber" stanza which is common in many Sailor Boy versions. In North America the stanza has been changed and begins "Dark/Black is the color" which is similar to the opening of the Appalachian folk song, "Black is the Colour."
Oikotype C; Archaic English, then English and Irish. Extant broadsides begin "Down by a crystal river side" and are represented by Ca, "The Sailor Boy." ('Down by a christal river side") from Merry Songs No. 15, printed by J. Evans, London, c1810, Cb, "The Maid's Lament for her Sailor Boy," a London broadside by J. Catnatch printer dated between 1813 and 1838 and Cc, "Sailor Boy" by London printer Pitts dated between 1819 and 1844. The opening stanza with a pastoral setting is reminiscent of the 2nd stanza of the 1686 broadside, "Constant Lady and the False-Hearted Squire," used in some versions of Died for Love. It is presumed that the extant broadsides of C are a secondary reduction from a missing Archaic English broadside used by John Gay in 1720 (Black Eyed Susan). Evidence of this archaic broadside dated c.1686 to 1718 can also be found in two versions from the US--"Murmering Side" and Cox's "Sailor Boy." Archaic C therefore be considered older than its reductions, A or B. It can be predicted that this older oiktype has the opening stanzas of A and B as well as the identifiers "murmuring river side," "Sweet William," "French ships" and "jovial sailors." The fact that versions of C are found in America and that the versions were brought probably during the Colonial Period[7] is further evidence of the antiquity of C which had been replaced by D in England by 1900.
Oikotype D: English. D begins "A sailor's life is a merry life" which is similar to variants of B, and is represented by the later broadside, "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary." D has the stanza beginning, "Four-and-twenty sailors, in a row." The ships are the "Queen's ship(s)," the sailor is "sweet William" and he was last seen and presumed dead on the "green island." This represents a more recent (mid to late 1800s- early 1900s) English tradition and is easily identified by its first line.
All four types can be compared by identifiers which include type of ship, color of hair, clothes, etc. An ur-ballad has been constructed for each oikotype. Although some traditional versions are mixed (more than one oikotype) most conform closely to the four basic broadside oikotypes. Oikotype E, found in tradition in North America, uses the modified "amber is the colour" stanza as an opening or secondary stanza. E's identifying stanza begins "Dark/Black is the Color." These oikotypes will be covered in more detail later.
* * * *
Here is the text in full of A, the first extant broadside printed by William Goggin of Mary Street, Limerick; c. 1770. Note that this Irish print has the identifiers "French ships" "Sweet William" and "green island." Here is Goggin's text:
"Sailor Boy."
1. It was early in Spring
I went on board to serve the King,
The raging seas and the winds blew high,
That parted me and my sailor boy.
2. I wish I had a little boat
That o'er the Ocean I might float,
To watch the French as I pass by,
Inquiring for my Sailor boy.
3. We had not Sailed but an hour or two
When she beheld the whole ships crew.
My whole ships crew tell unto me
If my sweet William is on board with thee.
4. Your sweet William he don't sail hear[sic]
And for his loss we greatly fear.
On yon green Island as we passed by
It's there we lost your young sailor Boy.
5. She wrung her hands and she tore her hair,
Like a fair maiden in deep despair,
her boat she flung against the rocks
Crying what shall I do since my true love's lost.
6. I'll tell my dream to the hills high;
And all the small birds as they fly,
Ah, happy, happy is the girl she cried,
That has her true-love by her side.
7. Come all ye seamen now dress in blue
And all you ladies dress in the same,
From the Cabbin boy to the main mast high,
And mourn in black for my sailor boy.
Steve Gardham commented, "I don't recognize the first 2 lines of stanza 6 and any of stanza 7. The whole definitely smacks of having been taken from oral tradition. There is a very strong likelihood of earlier printings going back at least to about 1770. There is absolutely nothing to suggest the original was Irish[8]."
The opening two lines of A are found in a different ballad (Laws M1, Roud 152) with the same title and opening lines, "Early, Early in the Spring." It's antecedent is the c1680 Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. "The Seaman's Complaint" begins:
When I went early in the Spring
on board a Ship to serve the King,
I left my dearest Love behind,
who said her heart for e're was mine.
Several versions of A use all four lines of "The Seaman's Complaint" instead of the customary first 2 lines. The "Early, early" identifying stanza is also found in archaic versions of C suggesting that Irish A is a reduction of Archaic C.
* * * *
My Ba is taken from the Scottish chapbook, Four Excellent New Songs. It was printed by J. Morren about 1800 in Edinburgh. Here's the text in full (minor editing for obvious errors):
The Sailing Trade.
1. THE sailing trade is a weary trade;
It's robb'd me of my heart's delight,
And left me here in tears to mourn,
Still waiting for my love's return.
2. Like one distracted this fair maid ran,
For pen and paper to write a song:
And at every line she dropt a tear,
Crying, Alas! for my Billy dear.
3. Thousands, thousands all in a room.
My love he carries the brightest bloom;
He surely is some chosen one,
I will have him, or I'll have none.
4. The grass does grow on every lea,
The leaf doth fall from every tree;
How happy that small bird doth cry,
That has her true love by her lie.
5. The colour of amber is my true love's hair
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms.
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.
6. Father, father, build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And at every ship that doth pass by,
I may enquire for my sailor boy.
7. She had not sail'd long on the deep,
Till a man of war she chanc'd to meet,
O sailor, send send me word.
If my true love Will be on board.
8. Your true love William is not here,
For he is kill’d and so I fear;
For the other day as we pass’d by,
We seed him list in the Victory,
9. At the first ship that she did meet,
She did enquire for her Willie sweet;
They told her that just the other day,
They had lost a brave young sailor boy.
10. She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Crying alas! my dearest dear,
And over board her body threw,
Bidding all worldly things adieu!
The ten stanzas of Ba are not presented in a logical sequence. Stanzas 2-5 are floaters found similarly in other songs. Stanza 2 is related to Died for Love, Stanza 3 is found in Unfortunate Swain, Stanza 4 is a floater; stanza five is the first extant printing of "Colour of Amber" stanza found similarly in two "Colour of Amber" songs and the Appalachian folk song "Black is the Colour." What is interesting about this early version of B is that the stanzas are not arranged in the proper order to tell the ballad story but are almost a collection of floating stanzas. Stanzas 2 and 5 are completely out of place and the stanza, where the captain asks the maid the "What kind of clothes does your Willie wear?" questions to identify him, is missing. After this missing stanza should come the "colour of amber" stanza. This combination, the "What king of clothes etc." stanza followed by the "colour of amber" stanza, has been found only once in tradition (see Karpeles 1929 NL version). Usually they are combined or one stanza is missing.
The Sailing Trade has one of the fundamental opening lines which has been changed and appears "A sailor's life is a weary life" or similarly. In D "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary" the opening is "A sailor's life is a merry life" while in G (Christie's version, a variant of Scottish B) it is "A sailor's trade is a roving life." D introduces new stanzas and except for the opening should be considered a different version from B, while E, F, and O, Christie's "The Sailing Trade," are all close to B.
The 1st stanza (varied) as well as the 5th and 6th stanzas have been well-preserved in tradition while the ending is not.
Curiously, William is last seen on the ship "Victory" which is sinking (listing) so he is presumed drowned. This event is not preserved in tradition. After learning that William was last seen on the sinking ship Victory and they lost a brave young sailor boy, his love jumps overboard. She dies similarly in Christie's 1876 version while her death is implied in some other traditional Scottish versions when she throws herself (her boat) onto a rock (see two mid-1800s versions of B from the logs of New England whaling ships). Print B is also missing the stanza where his lover and sailor mates raise a black silk flag and mourn for the loss of their sailor boy. Many Scottish versions use the "mourning" stanza as an ending leaving the exact demise of the maid in doubt.
Versions of Scottish B are known by two additional common titles: "Sailing Trade" and also "A Sailor's Life." See also Bb, "Sailing Trade" ("The sailing trade is a weary trade,") from a chapbook by R. Hutchinson & Co. printed on Saltmarket St., Glasgow in 1817. It's a shortened version of Ba with 8 stanzas.
* * * *
Here's the opening of Cc (Pitts broadside, c, 1820) with its pastoral setting:
Down by a crystal river side,
Where silver streams did gently glide,
I heard a damsel making moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy is gone.
Now compare the opening to the similar 2nd stanza of the 1686 "Constant Lady and the False-Hearted Squire":
2. Down by a crystal river side,
A gallant Bower I espied,
Where a fair Lady made great moan,
With many a bitter sigh and groan.
This is another association of the Died for Love songs and their extended family since text from Constant Lady is sometimes present. This opening stanza of C is the main identifier of the ballad. It is presumed that Ca-Cc are secondary reductions of an archaic English version that begins with a similar opening stanza with the first line appearing, "Down by some murmuring river side."
In print Ca-Cc the sailor boy's name as "Jemmy" (Jimmy) and she meets "French ships" and then inquires for her sailor boy. French ships are also common to older Irish versions indicating a shared ancestry. This would seem to validate the theory that Ca-Cc and A are secondary reductions from an older Archaic English broadside (hereafter "Archaic C") which was used by John Gay in 1720 for his ballad recreation "Black-Eyed Susan."
The C versions (Oikotype C) are represented by the known (Ca-Cc) prints and the unknown missing print (Archaic C) which is the presumed older English broadside. Some identifiers of Ca-Cc are the sailor's name of Jemmy (Jimmy) and French ships, are also found in Irish versions. The opening stanza is similar to the opening of "Constant Lady and the False-Hearted Squire," a 1686 broadside aligned with the Died for Love songs. Here's Ca, "The Sailor Boy," from the collection, "Merry Songs," No. 15, printed by J. Evans, London, dated c.1810.
15. The Sailor Boy
1. Down by a christal river side,
Where silver streams did sweetly glide,
I heard a fair maiden making her moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy's gone.
2. Go fetch me some little boat
That on the ocean I may float,
Thro' the French ships as they pass by
Enquiring for my sailor boy.
3. She had not sailed long on the deep
Before five sail of the French ships she did meet,
Come tell me ye jovial ship's crew,
If my true love sails along with you.
4. O no fair lady he is not here,
For he is drown'd I greatly fear,
For on yonder green island as I past by
There we did lose your poor sailor boy.
5. She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like a woman in despair,
Her boat against the rocks she run,
O I ne'er can live now my Jemmy's gone.
6. So come ye maids who dress in black,
That for a sailor boy you do lack,
With a black topmast and sails so wide,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
7. Down by the silent shady grove,
There will I mourn for my true love,
And tell the small birds all my grief,
For they alone afford some relief.
For comparison Cb, "The Maid's Lament for her Sailor Boy," a nearly identical broadside printed by J. Catnatch of 2 Monmouth Court, London about 1813 follows. Here is the complete text:
1. Down by a crystal river side,
Where silver streams did gently glide,
I heard a damsel making moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy is gone.
2. Go fetch me some little boat
That I may on the ocean float,
Through the French ships as they pass by,
Enquiring for my sailor boy.
3. She had not sailed on the deep
Before five sail the French ships she did meet,
Come tell me ye jovial ship's crew,
If my true love sails along with you.
4. O no fair lady he is not here,
For he is drown'd I greatly fear,
For on yonder green island as I pass'd by
There we did lose your sailor boy.
5. She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like a woman in despair,
Her boat against a rock did run,
O how can I live now my Jemmy's gone.
6. So now you maids that dress in black,
That for a sailor boy you do lack,
With a black top mast and sails so wide,
That parted me and my sailor boy.
7. Down by the silent shady grove,
There I will mourn for my true love,
And tell all the small birds my grief,
For they alone afford me relief.
Compare the opening to this traditional version from Cox's "Moment's River Side," a West Virginia version of Oikotype C:
1 Way down on Moment's river side
The wind blew fair with gentle guide;
A pretty maid that sat and mourned:
"What shall I do? My true love's gone."
A similar text is found in the opening stanzas of "A Dream" from The Nightingale; or Rural songster of Dedham [Mass.], printed by H. Mann., 1800.
SONG XLII. A DREAM.—
ONE night I dreampt I lay most easy
Down by a murmuring river's side,
Where lovely banks were spreak with daisy,
And pleasant streams did gently glide.
Whether Cox's ballad with "moment's river side' may have originally been "murm'ring river's side" is conjecture but it may explain the odd word, "moment's." The "side" and "glide" rhyme are similarly found in Oikotype C. A version of "Sailor Boy" collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1907 from Mr. Flint of Sussex begins: "Down by some murmuring river side" as does a version of Archaic C, "Murmering Side," from the 1824 log of a New England whaling ship.
Text similar to John Gay's text from his 1720 poem/song "Black-Eyed Susan" appears in the last half of stanza 3 and the first half of stanza 4. See the use of "jovial sailors" in both. The "jovial sailors" text has been found in several instances in tradition. Identifiers of Archaic C include "murmuring river side," "Sweet William" and "jovial sailors."
* * * *
D, titled "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary," is English and begins with an opening stanza modeled after B. It was printed by J. Harkness, of Preston at 121, Church-street; between 1840 and 1866. It also appeared on a panel opposite "Sailor Boy" printed by Pitts between 1819 and 1844. Here's the text printed by J. Harkness:
A sailor's life is a merry life:
They rob young women of their heart's delight,
Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn:
And never know when they will return.
Four-and-twenty sailors in a row;
And my sweet William cuts the brightest show.
He is proper, tall, genteel with all,
If I don't have him I'll have none at all.
Father, bring me a little boat
That I may on the ocean float,
And every Queen's ship that I pass by
I may enquire for my sailor boy."
She had not sailed on the deep
When a queen's ship she chanc'd to meet.
You sailors all, pray tell me true,
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?
O no, fair lady, he is not here,
For he is drowned, I greatly fear.
On yon green island as we pass by
There we lost sight of our sailor boy.
Then she sat down for to write a song,
She wrote it freely and she wrote it long
At every verse she dropt a tear
Saying at the bottom, I have lost my dear.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Jut like a woman in great despair,
Her little boat against a rock did run:
Saying, how can I live now my William's gone.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Jut like a woman in great despair,
She flung her body into the deep
In her William's arms to lay fast asleep.
Although D has a similar opening as B, it introduces new stanzas and shows the effect of tradition or revision including two stanzas with the same opening lines. Identifiers include "Queen's ship," "green island" and "sat down and wrote a song."
* * * *
The Tradition
Although traditional variants related to the four oikotpyes were not collected until 1893[9], evidence of the traditional ballad has been reported from 1817 (version E) by Irish writer Patrick Kennedy who recollected[10] a version of A from his early days in Wexford before he moved to Dublin. Perhaps the most important early traditional version is "Mermuring Side," my F, written down by Captain Samuel Bunker, c. 1824 in the log of the whaling ship Alexander of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Here's F in full:
F. "MURMURING SIDE." As written by Samuel Bunker, master, ship Alexander of Nantucket, 1824-25. Original spelling changed. This is a variant of Archaic C.
1. Down by one murmuring river side,
Where purling streams do gently glide;
I herd a fair maid making her mourn,
How can I live and my true love gone.
2. It was early early all in the spring,
He went on board for to serve his king;
The raging seas and the winds blew high
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
3. If there be thirty all in a row
My love he bares the greatest show
The greatest show amongst them all
I'll have my sailor or none at all.
4. She built herself a little boat
That on the ocean she might float;
To view all ships as they pass by
Till I find out my young sailor boy.
5. She had not sailed long on the deep
Five sail of Frenchman she chanced to meet;
Come tell to me all ye jovial crew
Whether my love William is on board with you.
6. No no fair maiden he is not here
For he is drowned poor soul I fear
We passed yon green Islands as we passed by
It was there we lost our young sailor boy
7. She wrung her hands and she tore her hair,
Just like some woman in great despair;
Her boat against the rocks she run,
How can I live and my sailor gone.
8. O this fair maid in fashion run,
With pen and paper she wrote a song;
At every letter she dropped a tear,
At every line she cried, "O my dear."
9. O this fair maid on a sick bed fell
And for a doctor loudly did call
My pain is great and I cannot live
And she descended unto her grave.
Finis.
Captain Bunker's version entered in his ship's Log between 1824-1825 begins with a variation of the first stanza of C, the old English broadside Sailor Boy, then uses stanza 1 of A (Goggins 1770), the Irish oikotype. This version corroborates the theory that A seems to have been formed from an arcahic unknown variant of C. Bunker's version, which should date back to the 1700s in New England, provides evidence the identifying stanza of A (Early Early in the spring) was once part of C, the English oikotype. Archaic C has lines from an unknown early broadside or variant used by John Gay by 1720 to write his "Black-Eyed Susan." The "murmuring side" corresponds to the older versions found in the US of Oikotype C and to one archaic version (Down by some river's murmurin' side) collected in England by R.V. Williams in 1907. This is the oldest US extant version and the second oldest extant traditional version to Patrick Kennedy's Wexford version dated c. 1817. Kennedy's version however was recollected from 1817 and written out in 1856 suggesting it could be a recreation.
The number early traditional versions from the US during and before the Civil War period (1862-65) suggest an early arrival in the new world. In his 1966 book, "The Ballad of America[11]," John Anthony Scott flatly states, "This song came to America from Britain in colonial days." Although Scott offers no proof, the evidence is clear that the ballad's early versions in the US date back at least to the late 1700s. Since extant broadsides with C date to only 1810 it's clear that Bunker's version is derived from an earlier missing print of C, perhaps including with the opening of A as Bunker's version does. Further speculation suggests that this missing broadside version of C would include the "murmuring side" text in its opening stanza and that it would have the lines found in John Gay's recreation, "Black Eyed Susan." The date of this missing broadside's publication would be c. 1686 to the early 1700s.
Patrick Kennedy's traditional version, my E, was recreated in 1856 from his early Wexford days (1817) and is given in full with an additional excerpt describing the scenario[12]:
The usual interruptions arising from the entrances of new visitors had occurred several times during these relaxations with the results already specified. The last visitor was a young giant named Tom Sweetman, a workman on the farm of young Roche, O’Brien’s neighbour, and an admirer of the songstress of the “Faithless Bride,” who, if she returned his affection, took special care to conceal the fact from the eyes of their acquaintance. Tom was as guileless a young fellow as the county could boast. O’Brien summoned him to sing, and he could produce nothing but the lamentation of a young girl for the absence of her lover.
E. THE SAILOR BOY.
Oh! the sailing trade is a weary life;
It robs fair maids of their heart's delight,
Which causes me for to sigh and mourn,
For fear my true love will ne'er return.
The grass grows green upon yonder lay,
The leaves are budding from ev'ry spray,
The nightingale in her cage will sing
To welcome Willy home to crown the spring.
I'll build myself a little boat
And o'er the ocean I mean to float;
From every French ship that do pass by,
I'll inquire for Willy, that bold sailor boy.
She had not sailed a league past three
Till a fleet of French ships she chanced to meet
"Come tell me, sailors, and tell me true,
If my love Willy sails on board with you."
"Indeed, fair maid, your love is not here,
But he is drowned by this we fear;
'Twas yon green island as we passed by,
There we lost Willie, that bold sailor boy."
She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Just like a lady that was in despair;
Against the rock her little boat she run—
"How can I live, and my true love gone?"
Nine months after, this maid was dead,
And this note found on her bed's head;
How she was satisfied to end her life,
Because she was not a bold sailor's wife.
Dig my grave both large and deep,
Deck it over with lilies sweet,
And on my head-stone cut a turtle-dove,
To signify that I died for love.
Both E and F as well as the usual traditional version have the maid dying for the love of her lost sailor boy. Kennedy's version has the "Early Early" opening that is typical of the Irish A as well as a variation of the standard "Go dig my grave" ending common in the Died for love variants. This Died for love ending, common in traditional versions of Sailor Boy, was not found in the various print versions.
* * * *
Some of the identifiers are also found in G, a traditional version with the "Sailing Trade" title with text also from D. G, dated 1847, was copied down in the log of the whaling ship, Elizabeth, whose port was New Bedford, Massachusetts as published in Songs the Whalemen Sang by Gale Huntington. The "colour of amber" stanza is a bit different:
That short blue jacket he used to wear
His rosy cheeks and his coal black hair
His lips as smooth as the velvet fine
Ten thousand times he has kissed mine.
A SAILOR'S TRADE IS A ROVING LIFE-- From the log aboard the whaling ship, Elizabeth, whose port was New Bedford, Massachusetts 1847, Kendall repository. Corrected text from Stuart M. Frank's "Jolly Sailors Bold" (2010) pp.153-155, Oikotype B.
A sailor's trade is a roving life
It's robbed me of my heart's delight
He has gone and left me awhile to mourn
But I can wait till he does return.
That short blue jacket he used to wear
His rosy cheeks and his coal black hair
His lips as smooth as the velvet fine
Ten thousand times he has kissed mine.
Come father build me a little boat,
That o'er the ocean I may float;
And every ship that I do pass by,
I will enquire for my sailor boy.
She had not sailed far o'er the deep
Before a king's ship she chanced to meet,
Captain captain, send me word
Does my sweet William be on board?
Oh no fair lady William is not here
He's drowned or so I fear
On yon green island as we pass
Gives the last mark of your sailor boy.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Like some female in deep despair
And then her boat to the shore did run
Saying how can I live since my sailor's gone.
Come all ye women that dress in white
Come all ye men that take delight
Come haul your colors at half mast high
And help me to weep for my sailor boy.
I will sit down and write a song
I will write it both sweet and long
At every line I will drop a tear
At every verse: where is my dear.
Come dig me a grave both wide and deep
Place a marble stone at my head and feet
And on my breast a turtle dove
To let the world know that I died for love.
This is an early traditional version of B (see also P, "Sailor's Trade" and Christie's version "Sailing Trade"). Instead of her boat being run on the rocks it is run to the shore. Her demise is not specific but she "died for love."
The Relationship with Died for Love
The text of G, "A Sailor's Trade is a Roving Life," succinctly shows the main relationship with Died for Love. The letter writing stanza, which is sometimes song writing stanza in sailor boy, is followed by the Died for Love ending stanza. After studying the broadside texts and comparing them to the traditional texts, one fact becomes clear: except for this single stanza about writing a song or letter (a ballad commonplace-- in this case a trigger stanza) the print versions have no stanzas in common with Died for Love and their extended family. Since many traditional versions of Sailor Boy share one or more stanzas with Died for Love, how can this be?
There are two theories-- the first (theory A) requires a giant leap of faith while the second (theory B) is simple. Perhaps both are contributors to the inclusion of the Died for Love stanzas in traditional versions of Sailor Boy.
Theory A suggests that both Died for Love, B (The Cruel Father), a ballad about an apprentice who is pressed into service the King and becomes a sailor boy, and Sailor Boy have a common ancestry. Sailor Boy would be an "answer to" type of broadside that would be parallel or a variation of the same story. In The Cruel Father, his daughter's lover is pressed to sea aboard a man-of-war where he is killed by a cannonball. In the Sailor Boy, her sailor boy is either pressed to sea or it's his trade and he must go to sea. After he is missing she has her father build a boat and she searches for him by hailing down ships (in some versions a man-of-war vessel) passing by. It would be natural for the Sailor Boy, as a companion ballad, to appropriate the Died for Love stanzas.
Theory B. Here is a simple logical explanation: the Died for Love ballads are similar in style, melody and theme to Sailor Boy. The basic theme is almost the same in both--a maid falls in love, her love leaves her. She searches for him, finds he's dead and kills herself. Traditional singers that knew the two ballads would blend them because of the common letter/song writing stanza. Notice in G (text above) "A Sailor's Trade is a Roving Life" the Died for Love ending follows the letter writing stanza held in common. This combination is most consistent in Butcher Boy (Died for Love, E). Printers kept printing the same stock broadsides-- not taking into account the Died for Love ending was commonly added in tradition. Although it seems odd that a version with the added Died for Love stanzas was never printed as a broadside-- why change the old for the new (Maiden's Prayer).
The association of the two ballads by traditional singers from the common stanza became apparent when random Died for Love stanzas where added to Sailor Boy. One good example is one of the first traditional versions published in folk song collection, my W, which was sent by Margaret Harley to Lucy Broadwood. It was later published in Broadwood's 1893 English Country Songs:
W. Sweet William- Words and tune, with notes from Margaret Harley, Bewdley, before 1893.
1. O father, father, come build me a boat,
That on this wild ocean I may float,
And every ship that I chance to meet
I will enquire for my William sweet.
2 I had not sailed more than half an hour
Before I met with a man on board (man of war?)
"Kind captain, captain, come tell me true,
Is my sweet William on board with you?"
3 "Oh no, fine lady, he is not here,
That he is drowned most breaks my fear,
For the other night when the wind blew high
That's when you lost your sweet sailor boy."
4 I'll set me down, and I'll write a song,
I'll write it neat, and I'll write it long,
And at every word I will drop a tear,
And in every line I'll set my Willie dear.
5 I wish, I wish, but it's all in vain,
I wish I was a sweet maid again,
But a maid, a maid I never shall be
Till apples grow on an orange-tree.
For a maid, a maid I shall never be,
Till apples grow on an orange-tree.
In the next year Baring-Gould collected a version and sent it to Broadwood in a letter[13] which pointed out that Broadwood's last stanza was from a different song!
* * * *
My H is a traditional version from Canada published in Folk Songs by C.M. Barbeau; 1. Sailor Boy. Barbeau's notes follow:
It was early, early in the spring,
Me love and I went to serve the King.
The night [had] been stormy, and the wind blew high,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
O father, father! get me a boat;
For it's on the ocean I will float,
And watch the French fleet [while it sails by];
[There I must] inquire for my sailor boy."
I had not sailed far on to the deep
Till a French frigate I chanced to meet.
"Come, tell me, tell me, my jovial crew!
Is my love Jummy on board with you?" —
"Oh, no, dear lady! he is not here;
For he was drownded not far from here.
'Twas [near] that green island, as we pass by.
'Tis there we lost your fine sailor boy."
She wrung her hands and [tore] her hair
Like a virgin that falls into despair.
Her little boat began to rake around.
"What shall I do when my Jimmy is gone?
"Come, all [the]' young ladies dressed in black,
And all the young sailors dressed in blue!
And the sail tip toppers all dressed in blue!
For 'tis now w' will mourn for my sailor boy!"
H is another early traditional version of Irish Oikotype A, well represented in print and tradition.
* * * *
Variant I gives evidence of D's popularity in the UK in the later part of the 1800s and early 1900s. It's found in The Monthly Packet of evening readings for younger members of the English Church, January--June 1862, London, by John and Charles Mozley, Paternoster Row. This excerpt with a "traditional" ballad text is from the chapter, "Life among the Factories" by K. L.:
Song-singing was a favourite amusement with them all; never more vigorously pursued than over the wash-tub, at the end of a day of hard work. Some of them could manage a second very well; and we had one or two really fine voices. Their choice of songs, too, was good; now and then we objected to one, and it was dropped directly. We enjoyed most the old ballads, with their quaint tunes, which they had learnt they knew not where. 'Barbara Allen' was one of these, whose cruelties seem to have been chaunted both in England and Scotland, where a version of the same song exists, from time immemorial. Another, of far more recent date probably, for its lines halted terribly, and its grammar was weak as its sentiment, appeared to have been composed by a young woman of poetic temperament, and sung by her after her decease. No one seemed aware of the comic element in it; they all sat seriously attentive, repeating the last two lines as a chorus, while the chief singer, with her head on one side, her eyes cast down, and rocking gently to and fro, droned it slowly and sadly forth. Here are the words, taken down as they were sung:—
'There's five-and-twenty all in a row,
And William he is the fairest show;
He is both handsome, genteel, and tall:
I'll have my William, else none at all.
"O Father! Father! build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And every king-ship that I pass by,
I will inquire for my sailor-boy."
I had not sailed far upon the deep,
Before a king-ship I chanced to meet:
"O jolly sailor, come tell me true,
If my sweet William's along with you?"
"Oh no, fair lady, he is not here,
For he is drowned, I greatly fear.
The other night, when the wind blew high,
It was then you lost your young sailor-boy."
She sat her down, and she wrote a song;
She wrote it wide, and she wrote it long;
At every line she shed a tear,
And at every verse she cried, "William dear!''
She wrung her hands, and she tore her hair,
Just like some lady in deep despair;
She plunged her body into the deep—
In the sailor's arms she lies fast asleep.'
Surely the last verse but one in the history of this nautical Evangeline, while the most absurd from its utter impossibility, is almost pathetic in its conceit. But it is singular to remark how many of these old ballads end in suicide as a matter of course, and no idea of wrong seems to be attached to it. It is this separation of our religious belief from our actual life, shown again in the 'lies fast asleep,' which is perhaps one of the greatest religious anomalies of our day. Eminently practical as a nation in our daily existence, we have grown into a habit of laying aside our religion with our Sunday clothes, to be taken out and aired once a week.
The ballad given by K. L. lacks the opening stanza "'A sailor's life is a merry life." In K.L.'s end notes (above) are the justification for the inclusion of the ballad in a church publication and the comment on the ending.
* * * *
J, from the state of Ohio in the US is "The Sailler Boy" taken from The Old Album of William A. Larkin a collection of old manuscripts discovered and published by Ruth Ann Musick in The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 60, No. 237 (Jul. - Sep., 1947), pp. 201-251. It was written down by Larkin from a text given him by Mrs. C. Froyaughehand of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1863. The original spelling is kept.
The Sailler Boy. No 30th
1. Dark was the coler of my true loves hair
His eyes resembled a lady fair
For no one else can give me joy
None will i have but a sweet sailler boy
2. Oh father oh father build me a boat
That on the oacean i ma float
And every ship that i pass by
I will inquire for my sweet sailler boy
3. Just as she was crossing the main
She spied three ships all out of spain
And as the captain he drew nie
She inquird for her sweet sailler boy
4. Oh captain oh captain tell me true
Does my sweet william stay with you
Oh tell me quick and give me joy
For none will i have but a sweet sailler boy
5. Oh no dear lady he is not here
He is drownded in the gulf my dear
Near yon rocky aisle as we passed by
There is where wee lost your sweet sailler boy
6. She run her boat against a rock
I thought the ladys heart was broke
She rung her hands and tore her hair
Lik a lady in de spair
7. She called for a cheer to set upon
A pen and ink to right it down
And at the end of every line she shed a tear
And at the end of every verse cried oh my dear
8. Its dig my grave both wide and deep
Place a marble toom stone at my head and feet
And on my breast a turtle dove
To testafy that i died for love
This version, J, introduces Oikotype E found in the US tradition which features an opening stanza derived in part from the "amber is the color" stanza first printed in B about 1800 in Scotland. A number of US versions have the "Dark/Black is the color" opening or use the stanza as a secondary stanza sometimes after an opening variant of Scottish B. Oikotype E and its identifiers are covered in detail later in the study.
K, "Sweet William," is a traditional version from the US that was sung about the time of the Civil War in the state of Tennessee. It was sent in to Kittredge, who printed it in his 1917 JAF article Ballads and Songs. The informant Mr. McInnis writes, April 4, 1917: "'Sweet William' . . I heard in the mountains of East Tennessee during the Civil War. It was sung by an ignorant mountain-girl, who accompanied herself with an accordion. The song still lives in the mountains. It was heard there two summers ago by a grandson of mine, who had heard me sing it." Kittridge adds that Stanzas 1, 5, and 6 appear in part in "The Butcher's Boy" and elsewhere (see JAFL 29 : 169-170). Here's the text in full:
Sweet William
1. She sot down, she wrote a song,
She wrote it true, she wrote it long,
At ev'ry line she dropped a tear
And ev'ry word cried, "O my dear!"
2. She cast her boat upon the tide
That she might sail the ocean wide,
An' ev'ry ship that she passed by
She thought she heard her William cry.
3. "O sailors, O sailors, pray tell me true,
Has my sweet William been sailin' with you?"
"No, no, purty Miss, he isn't here,
He's drowned in some deep, I fear."
4. Her boat was cast upon the san',
She wandered fur in a furrin lan',
O'er valleys low, o'er hills so high,
Still she heard Sweet William cry.
5. Three Eastern men went ridin' by;
They spied her on a limb so high;
They tuk her down fuh to be at rest;
A turkle dove lit on her breast.
6. So dig her grave both deep and steep,
An' put the marble at the head and feet,
Cyarve on that stone a turtle dove
To signify she died of love.
This variant has the rare suicide by hanging commonly found in Butcher Boy, as well as the Died for Love ending. It begins with the song/letter stanza, a placement rarely found (see also the version by Lena Fish). The hanging stanza is different than the Butcher Boy and is rare (See Eames, NC 1900 for another example).
* * * *
L, is another Civil War version from Anecdotes, Poetry, and Incidents of the War: North and South. 1860-1865, edited by Frank Moore. Also a variant of Oikotyoe E, it's taken from a MS diary from a Civil War soldier in Shelby's force in Missouri about 1865:
It will be seen by the following, that Pegasus accompanied Shelby in his raid, and was ridden by William H. Landreth:
Heart-Rending Boat Ballad (original spelling kept- see the translation in US & Canada headnotes)
1. father father bild Me a Boat
and pot it on the oason that I may float
her father was welthy he bilt her a Boat
an pot it on the oason that She Mite float
She Stopte on the Boat She eride out Goy
Now ll find my sweet salar Boy.
2. She handent Bin Snilen far on the Main
She Spide three Ships come in from Spain
She hailed each captain as he drew ni
An of him She did in quire of her swee Salar Boy.
3. Capttain Captain tell me trew
if my sweet william is in your crew
Il tell you far lady Il tell you My Dear
your Sweet William is not hear.
4. At the head of rockey ilent as we past By
Will was taken Sick an thare did die
She stove her boat a gains a rock
I thaut in my Soal her heart was Break
She rong her band She toar her hair
Jest like a lady in dis pair.
5. go bring me a Cher for to set on
a pen and ink for to set it down
at the end or ever line she dropt a tire
at the end of ever virs it was o My dire.
6. go dig my grave booth Wide an deep
poot a marvel Stone at my head an feet
an on my breast you may corv a dove
too let the world no that I dide for love.
Wm. H. Landbeth.
* * * *
M is an Irish broadside titled, "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love" ("Tis early, early all in the spring) which was printed by P. Brereton, 1, Lower Exchange St., in Dublin. c.1867. M is a version of Oikotype A, the broadside's first two lines are similarly found in Early, Early in the Spring (Laws M1 Roud #152) which is based on the late 17th century Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. For comparison, here is the first stanza of a version of Roud 152, "Early, Early in the Spring" from Mamie Poindexter, Pine Valley Calhoun County from A.P. Hudson's 1936 Folksongs of Mississippi:
Early, early in the spring
I was cast on board to serve my king,
Leaving my dearest dear behind,
Who often told me that her heart was mine.
Now here's the Irish broadside printed by P. Brereton in Dublin about 1867:
M. "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love"
1. It was early, early all in the spring,
When my love William went to serve the queen,
The raging seas and wind blew nigh,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
2. The night is long and I can find no rest,
The thoughts of my willy runs in my breast,
I'll search those green wood & valleys wide,
Still hoping my true love to find.
3. Come make then for me a little boat
For its on the ocean I mean to float,
To view the French fleet as they pass by,
And I'll still inquire for my sailor boy,
4. She had not sailed more then a day or too,
When a French vessel came in my view.
Oh Captain Captain tell me true
Does my true love William sail on board with you,
5. What sort of cloths did your willy wear,
Or what colour was your true lover's hair,
A short blue jacket all bound with green,
And the colour of amber was my tru [true] loves hair
6. Indeed fair lady he is not here,
But he is drowned I gently[greatly] fear,
On yon green Island as we Pass'd by,
We lost five more and your sailor boy.
7. She wrong her hands tore her hair,
Just like a lady in deep despair,
Oh happy, happy is the girl she cried,
That has her true love drowned by her side,
8. Come all you seamen that sails along
And all you boatmen that follow on.
From the cabin boy to the high,
You must morn [mourn] in black for my sailor boy.
* * * *
The texts of remaining versions will not be given here in the main headnotes but will be found attached to the US & Canada Versions page or the British & Other Versions page. The rest of this study will focus on the four print oikotypes and the other traditional oikotype from the US, and their identifiers. The five oikotypes are identified by their opening stanza which may be missing. If the opening stanza is missing the version is categorized by the oikotype's identifiers. The order of the stanzas in some cases is arbitrary and does not follow a logical progression. A good example is B, the Scottish oikotype, titled, "Sailing Trade" and printed in 10 stanzas-- two of which are clearly in a poor position to tell the ballad story. The "color of amber" stanza found in B has also become a specific okiotype as found in the US (Oikotype E). Although rare as an opening stanza, the "Black is the color" stanza and identifiers of Oikotype E are common in US versions especially in the South and Mid-west. An ur-ballad will be created for each oikotype and identifiers will be given. Of course, some versions will have blended stanzas and identifiers. This is especially true of Oikotype E which sometimes has a variant of Oikiotype B as an opening stanza. A supplemental study of the individual ballads by region will follow using the five oikotypes, their identifiers with added (Died for Love, etc.) stanzas from other sources.
The Soldier Boy ballad originated in the UK. Although the oldest extant versions of English Oikotype C are dated c.1810 in London, the original broadside of Archaic C is presumed missing and the estimated date would be circa 1680-1720. The versions from North America, Australia and Tristan de Cuna are all exports and provide additional information about the early tradition not known in the UK. For example, Oikotype C disappeared in the UK by the mid-1800s and is not known in the UK in tradition but has survived traditionally in the US. The three lines from John Gay's Black Eyed Susan verify is existence. From this version of Archaic C the reductions of A and C were formed in the latter part of the 1700s to early 1800s.
Oikotype A: Irish. Begins with "Early, early in the spring" or "Early, Early All in the Spring," and is represented by the following Irish broadsides:
1)"Sailor Boy" by Goggins c.1770,
2) "A New Song call'd the Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love," printed by P. Brereton in Dublin. c.1867
3) "The Constant lover and her sailor boy" from Ballad Sheet Scrapbook I: part IV, from the Collection of Patrick Weston Joyce (1827- 1914) an Irish music collector; dated c. 1880 by chronology presented.
4) "The Young Lady's Lamentation for the Loss of her True Love" ("The night is long and I can find no rest") broadside by E.C. Yeats Cuala Press County Dublin, 1909.
The opening two lines (and sometimes the first stanza) are also found in the different ballad, "Early, Early in the Spring" (Laws M1 Roud #152) whose antecedent is the late 17th century Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. See those opening lines also in Croppy Boy, which is an adaptation. What needs to be made clear is: The Seaman's Complaint is not part of Sailor Boy and only has the opening lines in common-- they are different ballads.
The Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. (dated 1680)
To The Tune Of I love you dearly, I love you well, etc.
Licens'd and Enter'd according to Order, etc.
When I went early in the Spring
on board a Ship to serve the King,
I left my dearest Love behind,
who said her heart for e're was mine.
Most versions use the first lines but several use the complete measure and shift to Sailor Boy text in stanza 2. Here's a composite of the four broadsides:
1. It was early, early all in the spring,
When my love William went to serve the King (Queen),
The raging seas and wind blew nigh (high),
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
[All that grieved him and troubled his mind,
Was the leaving of his dear girl behind.]
2. The night is long and I can find no rest,
The thoughts of my Willie runs in my breast,
I'll search those green wood and valleys wide,
Still hoping my true love to find.
3. Come make then for me a little boat
For its on the ocean I mean to float,
To view the French fleet as they pass by,
And I'll still inquire for my sailor boy.
4. She had not sailed more then a day or too,
When a French vessel came in my view.
Oh Captain Captain tell me true
Does my true love William sail on board with you?
5. "What sort of clothes did your Willie wear,
Or what colour was your true lover's hair?"
"A short blue jacket all bound with green,
And the colour of amber was my true love's hair."
6. Indeed fair lady, he is not here,
But he is drowned I gently fear,
On yon green Island as we passed by,
We lost five more and your sailor boy.
7. She wrong her hands tore her hair,
Just like a lady in deep despair,
Oh happy, happy is the girl she cried,
That has her true love drowned by her side.
[Her boat she flung against the rocks
Crying, "What shall I do since my true love's lost?"]
[Her little boat against a rock did run,
Saying, "What shall I do when my Willie's gone?"]
8. I'll tell my dream to the hills high;
And all the small birds as they fly,
"Oh, happy, happy is the girl," she cried,
"That has her true-love by her side."
9. She called for a pen and ink and paper too,
That she might write her last adieu,
At every letter she shed a tear,
At every line she cried Willy dear.
10. Come all you seamen that sails along
And all you boatmen that follow on.
From the cabin boy to the main mast high,
You must mourn in black for my sailor boy.
Stanza 2 is not standard but it corroborated in some traditional versions (see below). Here are variant stanzas from tradition:
Murmering Side- Samuel Bunker (MA) 1824 Frank A
3. If there be thurtey all in a roe
My love he bairs the gre[a]test show
The greatest show amongst them all
I'l have my sailor or none at all
Sailor Boy- Tom Sweetman (Dublin) 1817 Kennedy:
2. The grass grows green upon yonder lay,
The leaves are budding from ev'ry spray,
The nightingale in her cage will sing
To welcome Willy home to crown the spring.
7. Nine months after, this maid was dead,
And this note found on her bed's head;
How she was satisfied to end her life,
Because she was not a bold sailor's wife.
8. Dig my grave both large and deep,
Deck it over with lilies sweet,
And on my head-stone cut a turtle-dove,
To signify that I died for love.
Early, Early All in the Spring- Mrs. Hollings (Linc) c.1870 Kidson [ending stanzas]
She set her down and wrote a song—
She wrote it wide, she wrote it long;
At every line she shed a tear,
And at every verse she said "My dear."
When her dear father came home that night,
He called for his heart's delight;
He went upstairs, the door he broke,
He found her hanging by a rope.
He took a knife and cut her down;
Within her bosom a note was found,
And in this letter these words were wrote:
"Father, dear father, my heart is broke.
Father, dear father, dig me a grave—
Dig it wide and dig it deep;
And in the middle put a lily-white dove,
That the world may know I died for love."
My Fine Sailor Boy- Hugh Quinn (Belf) c.1895 Rawn Magazine
3.2 What kind of clothes does your Willie wear?
And what's the colour of your Willie's hair?"
4. "He wears a suit of the royal blue;
You might easy know him for his heart is true.
His hair is wavy like the rip'ning corn
Which the wind blows over on a July morn."
5. "Your Willie dear one night of wind and rain,
He went aloft and ne'er was seen again,
On the Rocky Fastnet where the waves roll high,
It was there we lost your fine sailor boy."
7. Oh, drape my coffin all in deepest black,
And a marble stone raise at my head and back;
And on my breast there put a turtle dove,
To let the world know that I died of love.
Henry Dear- Frances Repetto (TC) c.1938 Munch
1. It was early all in the spring,
when Henry went for to serve his King;
He left his dearest true love behind,
and he ofttimes told me his heart was mine.
2. Come all you sailors, stand in a row,
my Henry he is the greatest show,
He's the greatest show, O, amongst them all,
if I don't have him, I'll have none at all.
My Boy Willie- Joe Heaney (Gal) c1938 REC
2. The night is dark, I can find no rest
The thoughts of Willie lies in my breast
I’ll search the valleys and woodlands high
Hoping to find my sailor boy.
My Boy Willie- Anon (Dublin) 1939 O Lochlainn
1. The night was long and I can find no rest,
The thoughts of Willie runs in my breast
I'll search the green woods and valleys wide,
Still hoping my true love to find.
Early, Early All In The Spring- Hammond (Bel) 1958
"He wears a coat all of the royal blue,
You'll know him surely for his heart so true."
His hair is wavy like the ripenin' corn,
That the wind blows over on a July morn.
Oh dress my coffin in the deepest black,
And the headstone right above my head and neck
And on my breast place a turtle dove
To tell the world that I died for love. [also Rawn version]
The "early early" opening is identified with the fundamental Irish version. Two versions from America dated before 1850 have the "Early, Early" stanza. Both the Aussie version and the Tristan de Cuhna version found in the 1900s have the "Early, early" opening. The Sailor is usually "Willie" except for two exported versions which have "Jimmy" as found in Oikotype C. The letter writing stanza found in the "Early, Early" broadsides is rare in early Irish tradition. The suicide found in the Hollings Lincolnshire version is the same found in Butcher Boy and seems to be unique (or borrowed from Butcher Boy) so it will not be part of an ur-ballad representing that Oikotype A. In Kennedy's Wexford version there's also the rare "because she couldn't be a sailor's wife" suicide and a stanza found in Sharp's 100 English Folk Songs: "The grass it groweth on ev'ry lea/ The leaf it falleth from ev'ry tree/How happy that small bird doth cry/That hath her true love close to her side." This mirrors stanza 8 of the broadsides and both are ornamental additions from other sources although they will be included here. The "Sailors all in row" stanza found in only two exported versions and also found in Scottish print/tradition is not included. There's more variation among the "What kind of clothes" stanza(s) than the other standard stanzas. The common addition from Died for Love is the ending stanza, "Go dig my grave."
Some Identifiers:
1) Early Early (all) in the Spring
2) Night was long and I can find no rest
3) Willie (also William)
4) French fleet
5) yon green island
Early, Early All in the Spring (Ur-Ballad)
1. It was early, early all in the spring,
When my love Willie went to serve the King,
The raging seas and wind blew high,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
2. The night is long and I can find no rest,
The thoughts of my Willie runs in my breast,
I'll search those green wood and valleys wide,
Still hoping my true love to find.
3. Come make then for me a little boat
For its on the ocean I mean to float,
To view the French fleet as they pass by,
And I will inquire for my sailor boy.
4. She had not sailed more then a day or too,
When a French vessel came into view.
"Oh Captain Captain tell me true
Does my true love Willie sail on board with you?"
5. "What sort of clothes did your Willie wear,
Or what colour was your true lover's hair?"
"A short blue jacket all bound with green,
And the colour of amber was my true love's hair."
6. Indeed, fair lady, he is not here,
But he is drowned I greatly fear,
On yon green Island as we passed by,
We lost five more and your sailor boy.
7. She wrung her hands tore her hair,
Just like a lady in deep despair,
Her little boat against a rock did run,
Saying, "What shall I do when my Willie's gone?"
8. I'll tell my dream to the hills high;
And all the small birds as they fly,
"Oh, happy, happy is the girl," she cried,
"That has her true-love by her side."
9. She called for a pen and paper to write a song,
She wrote it wide and she wrote it long,
And at every letter she shed a tear,
At every line she cried, "Willie dear."
10. Come all you seamen that sails along
And all you boatmen that follow on.
From the cabin boy to the main mast high,
You must mourn in black for my sailor boy.
11. Oh drape my coffin with the deepest black,
And the headstone right above my head and neck
And on my breast place a turtle dove
To tell the world that I died for love.
Stanza 3 also begins with the standard “Oh father, father, come build me a boat" n ot found in older Irish versions. It should be noted that all Irish versions do not begin with "Early, early" (see: Colm O Lochlainn's 1939 version) but "Early, early" is the main identifier for Oikotype A and the Irish versions.
* * * *
Oikotype B: Scottish. Begins with "The sailing trade is a weary trade," and is represented in print by "Sailing Trade" printed by J. Morren, c.1800 in an Edinburgh chapbook. The opening also appears with changes such as, "A sailor's life is a weary life" which is similar to the opening of Oikotype D. Oikotype B has 10 stanzas and introduces the "color of amber" stanza which is common in many Sailor Boy versions from North America and is similar in text to the opening of the Appalachian folksong "Black is the Colour." Noteworthy traditional versions include Christie's "Sailing Trade" of 1870s, a number of Scottish versions from Greig and Duncan between 1906 and 1909 with several full versions and a half dozen more Scottish versions from The School of Scottish Studies dated in the early to mid1900s. This oikotype was also widely disseminated and many versions are found in North America where "weary life" and "dreary life" are common openers.
The earliest surviving print of Oikotype B is taken from the Scottish chapbook, Four Excellent New Songs. It was printed by J. Morren about 1800 in Edinburgh. Here's the print text (minor editing for obvious errors):
The Sailing Trade.
1. THE sailing trade is a weary trade;
It's robb'd me of my heart's delight,
And left me here in tears to mourn,
Still waiting for my love's return.
2. Like one distracted this fair maid ran,
For pen and paper to write a song:
And at every line she dropt a tear,
Crying, Alas! for my Billy dear.
3. Thousands, thousands all in a room,
My love he carries the brightest bloom;
He surely is some chosen one,
I will have him, or I'll have none.
4. The grass does grow on every lea,
The leaf doth fall from every tree;
How happy that small bird doth cry,
That has her true love by her lie.
5. The colour of amber is my true love's hair
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms.
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.
6. Father, father, build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And at every ship that doth pass by,
I may enquire for my sailor boy.
7. She had not sail'd long on the deep,
Till a man of war she chanc'd to meet,
O sailor, send send me word.
If my true love Will be on board.
8. Your true love William is not here,
For he is kill’d and so I fear;
For the other day as we pass’d by,
We seed him list in the Victory,
9. At the first ship that she did meet,
She did enquire for her Willie sweet;
They told her that just the other day,
They had lost a brave young sailor boy.
10. She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Crying alas! my dearest dear,
And over board her body threw,
Bidding all worldly things adieu!
It should be noted that Stanza 2 and 5 are completely out of place and the stanza where the captain asks the maid, "What kind of clothes does your Willie wear?" questions to identify Billie are missing. In modern tradition these questions replace the "colour of amber" stanza which is also used to identify Billie. Stanza 2 is related to Died for Love, Stanza 3 is found in Unfortunate Swain, Stanza 4 is a floater; stanza 5 is the first extant printing of "Colour of Amber" stanza found similarly in two "Colour of Amber" songs and has been adapted by the Appalachian folk song "Black is the Colour." What is interesting about this print version of B is that the stanzas are not arranged in sequential order to tell the ballad story but are almost a collection of floating stanzas.
The Sailing Trade has one of the fundamental opening lines which has been changed slightly and appears "A sailor's life is a weary life" or similarly. In D "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary" the opening is "A sailor's life is a merry life" while in S (Christie's version, a variant of Scottish B) it is "A sailor's trade is a roving life." Here are some variant Scottish traditional stanzas to compare with the print Sailing Trade:
Sailing Trade- Mary Guthrie (Aber) 1876 Christie
2. The blackbird whistles on the lea,
And flies about from tree to tree;
The nightingale on bush doth sing,
To welcome my love in the spring.
7. "The grass doth grow on every lea,
The leaves doth fall from every tree,
How happy are they who have lov'd none!
Oh! my true love is now dead and gone!"
8. She wrung her hands, and she tore her hair,
She went like one into despair;
And overboard would herself have thrown;
For she cried, "Can I live since Willie's gone!"
Sailor's Life- Willie Mathieson (Aber) 1894 REC
2. Where he is I cannot tell,
Nor in whose arms doth my love dwell,
But who enjoys him at this same time
Enjoys the fairest of all mankind.
Sailor Boy- J. W. Spence (Fyvie) c.1906 Greig D
2. She had not sail-ed so very far
Till she met in with a man-of-war,
"O sailors, O sailors, come tell me true,
Does my dear Willie sail in your crew?"
3. "What kind of hair has your Willie dear?
What kind of clothes does your Willie wear?"
"His hair is yellow, and his heart is true,
And he wears a suit o' the royal blue."
Sailin's a weary life- Mrs Greig (Aber) 1906 Greig E
Sailors, sailors ye'll dress in black,
Sailors, sailors, right mournfully,
Wi' a black silk screen on your topmast high,
You all must mourn for my sailor boy.
Sailing Trade- Robert Chree (Aber) 1907 Greig A
1. The sailing trade is a weary life,
It's bereavit me o' my heart's delight.
It's left me here in tears to mourn,
Just waiting for my Willie's return.
2. It's where he's gone I cannot tell,
Nor in whose arms my love doth dwell,
But who enjoys him at this same time
Enjoys the fairest of all mankind.
3. The grass grows green where my love's been,
The little birds sing in ilka tree,
The nightingale in her cage doth sing
To welcome Willie in the spring.
8. The sailors they were all dressed in black,
The sailors they were right mournfully,
With their silken screen on their topmast high,
The wind did blow with a pleasant gale.
9. This fair maid she went to her home,
She has called for paper, and she has penned this song,
At ilka word she did shed a tear,
And at ilka line cried, "Willie dear!"
10. As she was walking on the quay,
A row of sailors she chanced to see,
With their jackets blue and their troosers white,
Just mind her on her heart's delight.
11. She wrang her hands, she tore her hair,
Just like a lover in despair,
Oot owre a rock herself she's thrown,
"How could I live, and my darling gone?"
Sailing Trade- Annie Shirer (Aber) 1908 Greig I
3. There was four and twenty all in a room
And my true love Billie carriet the bloom
He carriet the bloom oot o'er them a'
If I get nae Billie I'll hae nane ava[at all].
6. "What kind of clothes does your Billy wear,
Or what is the colour of your true love's hair?"
"His jacket's blue like the sailor bold,
And his hair it shines like the yellow gold."
9. O sailors, sailors go all in black,
O sailors, sailors go mournfully,
Tie a black silk scarf to your top mast high,
And mourn the loss on my sailor boy.
10. She threw herself into a room
And called for a paper to write a song,
At every line she dropped a tear,
At every verse cried, "My Billy dear!"
Broken Hearted Lover- Jon Anderson (Aber) c.1908 Greig K
3. "What kind of clothes does your Billie wear
And what is the colour of his hair?"
"His jacket white and his trousers blue
His fair curly locks they hing roon his broo."
Sailing Trade- Kate Mitchell (Aber) c.1909 Grieg B
8/9 She called for paper. she called long
She called for paper to write a song
At every line she dropped a tear
And at every verse she cried Billy dear.
9/9 She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
She beat herself in her despair
Till overboard her body thrown
What way could she live and her Billy gone.
Sailor Boy- Annie Taylor (Aber) c1910 REC
What is the of colour of your Billie's hair?
What kind of coat does your Billie wear?
His hair is yellow and his heart is true,
He wears a coat of the navy blue.
William Boy- Maggie Stewart (Kinc) 1954 REC
What a voice, what a voice, what a voice I hear,
What a voice what a voice of my William dear.
But if I had wings of the swallow that flies,
I would clasp in the arms of my William boy.
Oh my father build me a dandy bower,
With some fine roses and some fine flower.
Oh my father build me a boat,
It's on the ocean that I will float.
And ev'ry vessel I chance for to meet,
I will make inquires for my William boy.
For it's every word now she dropped a tear,
And every odd line[?] was her sweet William dear.
But if I had wings of the swallow that flies,
I would clasp my arms of my William boy.
Go dig me a grave so wide and so deep,
And cover me over with lilies so sweet
And cover me over with lilies so sweet
To let the world know I died for my true love.
Oh she was long out on the deep,
To a man-o' war vessel she chance for to meet,
Oh captain, captain come tell to me,
Is my William sails on board you?
The Sailor Boy- Lucy Stewart (Aber) 1959 REC
Oh bring to me paper, pen and ink,
The time to write my heart's content
And to every line I will drop a tear,
And to every line I'll put, "Billie dear."
What kind of clothes does your Billie wear?
What kind of clothes does your Billie wear?
His jacket's blue and his troosers white,
And the colour o' his hair is my heart's delight.
I doubt, I doubt, and I rather fear,
That your dear Billie he's not here,
For all last night as the wind blew high,
We lost a sailor on the top mast high.
She wrung her hands and she tore her hair,
Like any maid in wail despair,
She thrust her head up into a rope
Oh but where can I live since my Billie's gone.
Sailin's a Weary Life- Elizabeth Stewart (Aber) 1987
O sailin', sailin's a weary life
It's ta'en from me my heart's delight,
It's left me here for to sigh and to moan
And me to wait upon my true love's return.
O bring to me paper, pen and ink
That I may write tae my heart's content
And every line I may drop a tear,
And every line I'll put Billy dear.
O father, father build me a boat
For it's on yon ocean that I may float
And every vessel I will pass by
I will make inquiry for my sailor boy
O she hadn't a long sailed upon the deep
When a man-y-war vessel she chanced to meet
O captain, captain come tell me true
If my dear Billy's among your crew?
0 she wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Like any lady in wild despair
She dashed her head up untae a rock
0 what life can I live since my Billy's gone?
By adding traditional versions to the 10 stanza print version obviously it will add to out ur-ballad since "Sailing Trade" by Robert Chree of Aberdeenshire is 11 full stanza. Two changes from print are obvious: 1) The traditional "What king of clothes does you Billie wear?" stanza replaces the "colour of amber" stanza and 2) the "Sailors mourn in black" stanza is missing and needs to be added. Christie's 1876 version has at least one stanza from his mother was probably supplemented by print stanzas. A traditional record is wanting of the two "on the lea" stanzas found in Christie's text. The traditional version by Maggie Stewart uses the "What a name" stanza (Two Hearts) and those 6 lines can't be included in the ur-ballad. The Died for love ending is rare in Scottish versions. Usually she throws herself on a rock and is presumed to drown. In Lucy Stewart's version she uses a rope:
She thrust her head up into a rope,
"Oh but where can I live since my Billie's gone?"
The main versions used in the UR ballad were the print version and Robert Chree's version.
Identifiers:
1) Sailing Trade is a weary trade (A sailor's life is a weary life)
2) Billie (sometimes Willie or William)
3) The grass does grow on every lea
4) The colour of amber
5) Father, Father build me a boat
6) man-of-war (tradition) also French ships
7) Thousands, thousands in a room (print)
The Sailing Trade (Ur-ballad, Oikotype B)
1. The sailing trade is a weary life;
It's bereaved me of my heart's delight,
And left me here in tears to mourn,
Still waiting for my Billie's return.
2. It's where he's gone I cannot tell,
Nor in whose arms my love doth dwell,
But who enjoys him at this same time
Enjoys the fairest of all mankind.
3. The grass grows green where my love's been,
The little birds sing in ilka tree,
The nightingale in her cage doth sing
To welcome Willie in the spring.
4. Thousands, thousands all in a room,
My love he carries the brightest bloom;
He surely is some chosen one,
I will have him, or I'll have none.
5. The grass does grow on every lea,
The leaf doth fall from every tree;
How happy that small bird doth cry,
That has her true love by her lie.
6. Father, father, build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And at every ship that doth pass by,
I may enquire for my sailor boy.
7. She had not sail-ed long on the deep,
Till a man-of-war ship she chanced to meet,
"Oh captain, captain, pray tell me true,
Is my love Billie on board with you?
8. The colour of amber is my true love's hair
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms,
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.
9. I doubt, I doubt, and I rather fear,
That your dear Billie he's not here,
It was just last night, as the wind blew high,
It was then we lost a fine sailor boy."
10. The sailors they were all dressed in black,
The sailors they were right mournfully,
With their silken screen on their topmast high,
The wind did blow with a pleasant gale.
11. This fair maid she went to her home,
She has called for paper, and she has penned this song,
At ilka word she did shed a tear,
And at ilka line cried, "Billie dear!"
12. As she was walking on the quay,
A row of sailors she chanced to see,
With their jackets blue and their troosers white,
Just mind her on her heart's delight.
13. She wrang her hands, she tore her hair,
Just like a lover in despair,
Oot owre a rock herself she's thrown,
"How could I live, and my Billie gone?"
14. "Go dig me a grave so wide and so deep,
And cover me over with lilies so sweet
And in the middle a turtle dove
To let the world know I died for love.
The "Colour of Amber stanza" has been supplanted in tradition by the dialogue between the maid and the captain resulting in a number of variants which appear similarly:
What kind of clothes does your Billie wear?
What is the colour of your Billie's hair?
His jacket's blue and his troosers white,
And the colour o' his hair is my heart's delight.
Only Karpeles 1929 version from Newfoundland has both stanzas together:
What kind of a lad is your Willie dear?
What kind of clothing did your Willie wear?
He wears a jacket of the royal blue,
And it's easily seen that his heart is true.
O the colour of amber is my love's hair,
His cherry cheeks sets my heart in snare,
His ruby lips so soft and fine,
It's often times he pressed them to mine.
Further study including the many versions from North America will be found in "Oikotypes by Geographical Region" at the end.
* * * * *
Oikotype C; Archaic English then English and Irish. The earliest extant broadside begins "Down by a crystal river side" and is represented by Ca, "The Sailor Boy." ('Down by a christal river side") from Merry Songs No. 15, printed by J. Evans, London, c1810, Cb, "The Maid's Lament for her Sailor Boy," a London broadside by J. Catnatch printer dated between 1813 and 1838 and Cc, "Sailor Boy" by London printer Pitts dated between 1819 and 1844. There is no significant difference in text between the three extant print versions. These prints are regarded as a secondary reduction of an earlier, largely unknown[14], archaic English print.
The opening stanza with its pastoral setting is reminiscent of the 2nd stanza of the 1686 broadside, "Constant Lady and the False-Hearted Squire"-- widely borrowed by singers of the Died for Love songs. The older English print is only known by three lines of text from a missing broadside that was used by John Gay in 1720 for his recomposed ballad on the Sailor Boy theme, "Black Eyed Susan." The archaic identifiers "Sweet William" and "jovial sailors, tell me true" of "archaic" Oikotype C can therefore be considered older than A or B and the unknown print is dated c.1680-c.1718. The C oiktype has the French ships identifier found in the Irish A which is presumed to have been borrowed from archaic C. The fact that versions of C were collected in America and that only one extant version was collected in the UK means that while Oikotype C virtually disappeared in the UK, it has already been brought to America probably during the Colonial Period. This is further evidence of the antiquity of C which had been replaced by D in England by the mid-to-late 1800s.
As far as the known print versions, there are the three lines from John Gay and three nearly identical broadside (Ca will suffice):
Black-Eyed Susan: A Ballad (John Gay, 1720- print)
4 Oh! where shall I my true love find!
5 Tell me, ye jovial sailors, tell me true,
6 If my sweet William sails among the crew?
Here's Ca, "The Sailor Boy," from the collection, "Merry Songs," No. 15, printed by J. Evans, London, dated c.1810. This represents a secondary reduction of C, with "crystal" replacing "murmuring" and Jemmy" replacing "William":
15. The Sailor Boy (print)
1. Down by a christal river side,
Where silver streams did sweetly glide,
I heard a fair maiden making her moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy's gone.
2. Go fetch me some little boat
That on the ocean I may float,
Thro' the French ships as they pass by
Enquiring for my sailor boy.
3. She had not sailed long on the deep
Before five sail of the French ships she did meet,
Come tell me ye jovial ship's crew,
If my true love sails along with you.
4. O no fair lady he is not here,
For he is drown'd I greatly fear,
For on yonder green island as I past by
There we did lose your poor sailor boy.
5. She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like a woman in despair,
Her boat against the rocks she run,
O I ne'er can live now my Jemmy's gone.
6. So come ye maids who dress in black,
That for a sailor boy you do lack,
With a black topmast and sails so wide,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
7. Down by the silent shady grove,
There will I mourn for my true love,
And tell the small birds all my grief,
For they alone afford some relief.
Gay's text corresponds to the last two lines of Stanza 3 of the "Sailor Boy" broadside by Evans. The traditional record of this Oikotype is small and includes one excellect version from England collected by R.V. Williams in 1907 which I give in full now:
Down by some River- Mr. Flint (Surrey) 1907 R.V. Williams [English Oikotype C]
Down by some river's murmurin' side
Where silver streams do gently glide
I heard a fair maid making her moan
"How can I live now my Jimmy's gone?"
O father fetch me a little boat,
That on the ocean I might float
And every ship I do see
I will enquire for my sailor boy.
She had not sailed long in the deep
Before some queen's ship she chanced to meet
Come Jovial sailors come tell me true
If my young Jimmy sails along with you.
Oh no young lady he is not here
Fro he is drownded I greatly fear
For yonders island that we have sailed by
It was there we lost your Jimmy boy.
She wrung her hands she tore her hair
Much like some woman in despair,
her boat up against some rock did run,
"How can I live now Jimmy's gone."
I will go down to some shady grove,
There I'll go and make my woe,
Telling the small birds, telling them of my grief,
That they might afford me some such relief.
The following version, as the Flint version, is very important and was written down in a ship's log in 1824. "Murmering[sic] Side" provides an interesting twist becasue it has the two opening stanzas found in "archaic" C. It too is given in full:
A. Murmering Side- Samuel Bunker (MA) 1824 Frank A [US Oikotype C]
1. Down by one mumuring river side
Where purling streams do gently glide
I herd a fair maid making her moarn
How can I live and my true love gone?
2. It was early, early all in the spring
He went on board for to serve his king
The raging seas and the winds blew high,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
3. If there be thirty [sailors] all in a row
My love he bears the greatest show
The greatest show amongst them all
I'l have my sailor or none at all
4. She built herself a little boat
That on the ocean she might float
To view all ships as they pass by
Till I find out my young sailor boy.
5. She had not sailed long on the deep
Five sail of frenchman she chanced to meat
Come tell to me all ye jovial crew
Whether my love William is on board of you
6. No, no, fair maiden, he is not here,
For he is drownded poor soul I fear
We passed yon green Islands as we passed by
lltwas there we lost our young sailor boy.
7. She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Just like some woman in great dispair
Her boat against the rocks she run
How can I live and my sailor gone?
8. O this fair maid in fashon run
With pen and paper she wrote a song
At every letter she dropped a tear
At every line she cried, "O my dear!"
9. O this fair maid on a sick bed fell
And for a doctor loudly did call,
My pain is great and I cannot live
And she descended unto her grave.
Except for the concluding stanza this version shows the archaic stanzas associated with Sailor Boy and Oikotype C. There are 8 versions of Oikotype C with the opening stanza which follow in chronological order. The next version from Cox features "moment" instead of "murmur." It also has both opening stanzas (C, 1st and A, 3rd) as in archaic C:
B. Sailor Boy- Matilda Heishman (WV) 1901 Cox B [US Oikotype C]
1 Way down on Moment's river side,
The wind blew fair a gentle glide;
A very pretty maid sat there a-moan,
"O what shall I do? My true love's gone.
2 "If ten thousand were enrolled,
My love would make the brightest show,
The brightest show of every one;
I'll have my true love or else have none.
3 "It was early in the spring,
He went on sea to serve his king;
The day was clear, the wind blew fair,
Which parted me and my dearest dear.
4 "I'll build myself a little boat,
And on the ocean I will float;
And every ship that I pass by,
I'll inquire of my sweet sailor boy."
5 She had not been sailing long on the deep
Before a ship she chanced to meet;
She cried, "Captain, captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet Billy stay with you?"
6 "O no, kind miss, he is not here;
He is lost in the deep, O I do fear;
On Greenland's Isle, as we passed by,
Here we lost a fine sailor boy."
7 She wrung her hands into her hair,
Just like one who is in despair;
Against a rock she ran her boat:
"O what shall I do? My true love's gone."
8 The water did wave and the sea did roar,
It washed his body on the shore ;
She viewed his body on every part,
With melting tears and a broken heart.
9 With pen and paper she wrote a song;
She wrote it wide and she wrote it long;
At the end of every line she dropped a tear,
At the end of every word cried, " Billy, my dear!"
C. Sailor Boy- Daisy Watkins (WV) c.1915 Cox C [Oikotype C]
1 Away down on yon river side,
There where the waters so swiftly glide,
I heard a lovely lady mourn,
Saying, "What shall I do? My true love's gone."
2 She built herself a little boat,
That on the ocean she might float;
And every ship that she drew near,
She inquired for her William dear.
3 As she was sailing out from Maine [on the main],
She spied three ships coming from Spain;
She hailed them all as they drew near,
To inquire for her William dear.
4 "O captain, captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet William sail with you?
Tell me quick and give me joy,
For none will I have but my sweet sailor boy."
5 "O no, kind miss, he is not here;
He is in yonder deep, I fear;
On Rocky Island as we drew nigh,
There we left your sweet sailor boy."
6 She rowed her boat against a rock,
Just like some lady whose heart was broke.
7 She called for a chair to set upon,
And paper and ink to pen it down;
And at the end of every line she dropped a tear,
And at the end of every verse she cried, "O my dear!"
8 "Dig my grave both wide and deep;
Place marble stones at my head and feet;
And on my breast you may place my dove,
To tell the world that I died of love."
D. Moment's River Side- Lucretia Collins (WV) 1917 Cox A [US Oikotype C]
1 Way down on Moment's river side
The wind blew fair with gentle guide;
A pretty maid that sat and mourned:
"What shall I do? My true love's gone.
2. His rosy cheeks, his coal-black hair,
Has drawn my heart all in a snare;
His ruby lips so soft and fine,
Ten thousand times I've thrust in mine.
3. "And if ten thousand were in a row,
My love would make the brightest show,
The brightest show of every one;
I'll have my love or I'll have none.
"I'll build myself a little boat,
And on the ocean I will float,
And every ship that I pass by,
I'll inquire for my sweet sailor boy."
She had not sailed far on the deep,
Until a ship she chanced to meet:
"O captain, captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet Willie sail with you?"
6 "0 no, kind miss, he is not here;
He lies in yonder deep, I fear."
She [w]rang her hands, she tore her hair,
Just like a lady in despair.
7 The wind did blow and the waves did roll,
Which washed his body to the shore;
She view[ed] him well in every part,
With melting tears and bleeding heart.
8 With pen and ink she wrote a song,
She wrote it large, she wrote it long;
On every line she dropped a tear,
And every verse cried, "O my dear!"
9 Six weeks from then this maid was dead,
And on her breast this letter laid:
"Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
And strew it well with roses sweet.
10 "Plant by my side a willow tree,
To many years wave over me,
And on my breast a turtle dove,
To tell the world I died for love."
E. Sweet Willie- Nannie Weaver (VA) 1918 Sharp MS [US Oikotype C]
Way down on yon riverside,
Where the waters doth so gently glide,
I heard a poor lady mourn,
Saying: What shall I do, my true love's gone?
She built herself a little boat
And on the ocean she did float,
And every ship that she drew near,
She enquired for her sweet Willie dear.
She had not sailed all [long] on the deep,
And every ship that she drew near,
She enquired for her sweet Willie dear,
Saying: Captain, captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet Willie sail with you?
No, no, kind Miss, he is not here,
He lies in yonders deep, I fear.
On yon green isle as we passed by
We chanced to lose a fine sailor boy.
She wrung her hands, she tore her hair,
Just like some woman in despair.
Against a rock her boat she run,
Saying: I will have sweet Willie or none.
His rosy lips, his coal-black hair
Has drawn my heart in despair;
His rosy lips so neat and fine
Ten thousand times have pressed to mine.
F. Lost Willie- Florence McKee (OH) 1939 Eddy F
1. As I walked down by the river side,
Down where the waters gently glide,
I heard a lovely lady mourn
Crying, "What shall I do! My true love's gone."
2. She built herself a little boat
And on the ocean she did float,
And every boat that she drew near
She inquired for her Willie dear.
3. She had not sailed far on the deep
Than another boat she chanced to meet,
Saying, "Captain, captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet Willie sail with you?"
4. "Oh, no, kind maid, he is not here,
I fear he lies in yonder deep;
In yon green isle as we passed by
I chanced to lose a sailor boy."
5. She wrung her hands, she tore her hair
Just like a maiden in despair,
And against the waves her boat she run;
'If I don't get Willie I won't have none.
6. "Go dig my grave both deep and wide
And on it place some roses sweet,
And on my breast place a turtle dove
To certify that I died of love."
G. Oh, Father, Father, Build Me a Boat- (WV) 1953 WV Folklore
1. As I walked down the river bank,
Behold the flowers so bright and gay
I chanced to hear a young maid say,
My true love's gone how can I stay?
2. "Oh, Father, Father, build me a boat,
And on the ocean I will float,
And every ship that I draw near,
I'll inquire for my Willie, dear."
She had not gone more than half her trip,
Till she came in contact with a ship,
Oh, Captain, Captain, tell me true,
Does my sweet Willie sail with you?
"Oh, no, sweet maid, he is not here;
He lies in yonder's deep, I fear;
For as we crossed o'er yon green isle,
We chanced to lose a sailor boy."
5. She wrang her hands, she tore her hair,
Just like a maid in deep despair,
Her boat against a rock she run,
Saying, "I'll have Willie or I'll have none!"
6. "Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
Place a marble stone at my head and feet;
And on my heart a turtle dove
To show to the world that I died for love."
H. Willie Boy- Lucy Quigley (AR) 1958 Hunter A
VERSE 1
As I walked down by the river side
Where the water there so gently glide
I heard a fair young lady mourn
Saying, what shall I do, my true loves gone?
VERSE 2
She built herself a little boat
And on the ocean, she did float
An' ever ship that she'd draw nigh
Would inquire for her Sweet Willie boy.
VERSE 3
She had not sailed upon the deep
Till another boat she chanced to meet
Captain, captain, tell me true
Does my sweet Willie sail with you?
VERSE 4
O, no kind miss, he isn't here
He sleeps in yonder deep, I fear.
On yon green's isles as we passed by
We chanced to lose one sailor boy.
VERSE 5
She wrang her hands and tore her hair
Just like a lady in despair
These words she stormed as the boat sailed on
If I don't get Willie I won't have none.
VERSE 6
Upon her knees, she wrote this song
She wrote it neat, she wrote it long
At the end of every line, she'd shed a tear
At the end of every verse cried, "Willie my dear."
VERSE 7
Go dig my grave and dig it deep
Upon it place some roses sweet
Upon my breast place the bird of blue
To test[ify] to the world my love was true.
These nine versions represent the traditional record with the opening stanza ("murmuring river side") of Oikotype C. Many of the later US versions have only the 1st stanza and no other archaic identifiers. Other older identifiers are "jovial crew," "jovial ship's crew" or "jovial sailors" and the name, "Jimmy" which are found rarely found together. One such archaic version is "Sailor Boy" as sung by Edward Hovington of Quebec who learned it from an Irishman in Canada in 1847. Even though Hovington's version is missing the main stanza ("Down by the murmuring river side") it still qualifies as a version of Oikotype C. The rational is this: Arcahic Oikotype C, being the oldest version, and originally have two opening stanzas (murmuring river side/Early early) was rewritten. One rewrite was Oikotype A printed in Ireland in the 1770s (see Goggin) which removed the "murmuring river side" stanza and "Early early" became the new opening stanza. Evidence of this apparent in two versions from the Untied States, the oldest being the 1824 "Mermuring[sic] Side" which begins:
1. Down by one mumuring river side
Where purling streams do gently glide
I herd a fair maid making her moarn
How can I live and my true love gone?
2. It was early, early all in the spring
He went on board for to serve his king
The raging seas and the winds blew high,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
and also Cox B from West Virginia:
1 Way down on Moment's river side,
The wind blew fair a gentle glide;
A very pretty maid sat there a-moan,
"O what shall I do? My true love's gone.
2 "If ten thousand were enrolled,
My love would make the brightest show,
The brightest show of every one;
I'll have my true love or else have none.
3 "It was early in the spring,
He went on sea to serve his king;
The day was clear, the wind blew fair,
Which parted me and my dearest dear.
The Goggin Irish print of c.1770 removed "murmuring river side" and "Early early" became the opening. This change was kept in subsequent Irish prints and it also became part of Irish tradition. The English print versions published in 1810 (see Ca above) also reflected a change: "murmuring" was changed to "crystal" and the"'Early, early" opening, now printed in Ireland, was removed. "Sweet William," as reflected in John Gay's adaptation, was changed in this secondary reduction to "Jemmy" (Jimmy). Assuming this change occurred in the late 1700s and early 1800s as the two archaic US versions predict, this would mean that the original unknown Oikotype C was have been printed in the late 1600s to early 1700 with "murmuring river side" and "early early" as the second or third stanza. John Gay's recreation, which represents the unknown print version, used the common ballad name, "Sweet William," as well as "jovial sailors," another commonplace in sailor songs. Since the original print of the C Oikotype is unknown, reproducing it here would be more speculation. It is best represented by the 1824 traditional version Murmuring Side. The ur-ballad that follows will represent the second reduction found in the London broadsides of c.1810 with the "early, early" stanza removed. Some elements of "archaic" C will appear in the identifiers and ur-ballad.
Some Identifiers of Oikotype C
1) "murmuring river side," "moment's river side" then "crystal river side"
2) Originally "William" (as John Gay's "Sweet William") then "Jemmy" or "Jimmy"
3) "greatest show"
4) "jovial ship's crew" "jovial sailors" "jovial crew"
5) "fetch me some boat"
6) Down to some/a silent "shady grove"
Murmuring River Side-- Oikiotype C (secondary reduction)
1. Down by yon murmurin' river side
Where silver streams do gently glide
I heard a fair maid making her moan
"How can I live now my Jimmy's gone?"
2. "His rosy cheeks, his coal-black hair,
Has drawn my heart all in a snare;
His ruby lips so soft and fine,
Ten thousand times I've thrust in mine."
3. "And if ten thousand were in a row,
My love would make the brightest show,
The brightest show of every one;
I'll have my love or I'll have none."
4. Go fetch me some little boat
That on the ocean I may float,
Thro' the French ships as they pass by
Inquiring for my sailor boy.
5. She had not sailed long in the deep
Before some French ship she chanced to meet
Come jovial sailors come tell me true
If my young Jimmy sails along with you?
6. "No, no, fair maiden, he is not here,
For he is drownded poor soul I fear,
On yon green islands as we passed by
It was there we lost our young sailor boy."
7. She wrung her hands, she tore her hair
Much like some woman in despair,
Her boat up against some rock did run,
"How can I live now Jimmy's gone?"
8. The wind did blow and the waves did roll,
Which washed his body to the shore;
She viewed him well in every part,
With melting tears and bleeding heart.
9. With pen and ink she wrote a song,
She wrote it large, she wrote it long;
On every line she dropped a tear,
And every verse cried, "O my dear!"
10. So come ye maids who dress in black,
That for a sailor boy you do lack,
With a black topmast and sails so wide,
Which parted me and my sailor boy.
11. Down by the silent shady grove,
There will I mourn for my true love,
And tell the small birds all my grief,
For they alone afford some relief.
12. Six weeks from then this maid was dead,
And on her breast this letter laid:
"Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
And strew it well with roses sweet.
13 "Plant by my side a willow tree,
To many years wave over me,
And on my breast a turtle dove,
To tell the world I died for love."
The broadsides and Flint's version end with stanza 11. The 1824 tradition version from the ship's log has:
O this fair maid on a sick bed fell
And for a doctor loudly did call,
My pain is great and I cannot live
And she descended unto her grave.
Most of the US versions have the "Died for Love" stanza added on as in 12 and 13. Stanza 8 (viewing his dead body) is is rare and found only in two other versions. Stanza 10 is from the broadsides and is a poorly constructed "sailor's mourning" stanza. Jemmy (Jimmy) is retained throughout the ur-ballad as in the broadsides and the R.V. Williams' English version. There are two archaic US versions with both opening stanzas which reflect "archaic" C, the missing broadside.
* * * *
Oikotype D: English. It begins similar to B, with the variation on the first line, "A sailor's life is a merry life," and is represented by the later broadside, "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary." D also has the stanza beginning, "Four-and-twenty sailors, in a row" which is found in English tradition. The ships that Mary hails are the "Queen's ship(s)," the sailor is "sweet William" and he was last seen and presumed dead on the "green island." The easiest identifier is found in the last lines where Mary flings her body into the deep-- "in her Williams arms to lay fast asleep." This represents a more recent (mid1800s- early 1900s) English tradition and is easily identified by its first and last lines.
The print text of D dates back to as early as 1819 to 1844 when the broadside "Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary" was issued by Pitts, a printer at Wholesale Toy and marble war[e]house. 6 Great st Andrew street 7 dils [sic] London. Additional broadsides were printed included one by J. Harkness of Preston between 1840-1860. The first know extant traditional version was published by F.L. in 1862 under the title, "Sailor Boy," see the article in the The Monthly Packet of evening readings for younger members of the English Church, January--June 1862, London, by John and Charles Mozley.
Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary- Oikotype D (print)
A sailor's life is a merry life:
They rob young women of their heart's delight,
Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn:
And never know when they will return.
Four-and-twenty sailors, in a row;
And my sweet William cuts the brightest show.
He is proper, tall, genteel with all,
If I don't have him I'll have none at all.
Father, bring me a little boat
That I may on the ocean float,
And every Queen's ship that I pass by
I may enquire for my sailor boy."
She had not sailed on the deep
When a queen's ship she chanc'd to meet.
You sailors all, pray tell me true,
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?
O no, fair lady, he is not here,
For he is drowned, I greatly fear.
On yon green island as we pass by
There we lost sight of our sailor boy.
Then she sat down for to write a song,
She wrote it freely and she wrote it long
At every verse she dropt a tear
Saying at the bottom, I have lost my dear.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Jut like a woman in great despair,
Her little boat against a rock did run:
Saying, how can I live now my William's gone.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Jut like a woman in great despair,
She flung her body into the deep
In her William's arms to lay fast asleep.
The last two stanzas have the same first line while Mary, identified by the title, is not not named in the body of the text. As pointed out by F.L. who published a traditional version in 1862. the last stanza offers a miracle reunion of the lovers: "Surely the last verse but one in the history of this nautical Evangeline, while the most absurd from its utter impossibility, is almost pathetic in its conceit." Here's the text in full, which is missing the opening stanza:
There's five-and-twenty all in a row,
And William he is the fairest show;
He is both handsome, genteel, and tall:
I'll have my William, else none at all.
"O Father! Father! build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And every king-ship that I pass by,
I will inquire for my sailor-boy."
I had not sailed far upon the deep,
Before a king-ship I chanced to meet:
"O jolly sailor, come tell me true,
If my sweet William's along with you?"
"Oh no, fair lady, he is not here,
For he is drowned, I greatly fear.
The other night, when the wind blew high,
It was then you lost your young sailor-boy."
She sat her down, and she wrote a song;
She wrote it wide, and she wrote it long;
At every line she shed a tear,
And at every verse she cried, "William dear!''
She wrung her hands, and she tore her hair,
Just like some lady in deep despair;
She plunged her body into the deep—
In the sailor's arms she lies fast asleep.
One of the most famous versions of D was collected by W. Percy Merrick from Henry Hills of Lodsworth, Sussex, in 1899, and was first published in the Folk Song Journal, vol.I, [issue 3], p. 266. It begins with the standard opening:
A sailor's life is a merry life.
They rob young girls of their heart's delight,
Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn.
They never know when they will return.
Cecil Sharp collected a full version titled, "Sweet William,"which was sung by Tom Sprachlan at Hambridge, Somerset in September of 1903. [Cecil Sharp Manuscript Collection (at Clare College, Cambridge) (CJS2/10/28)] It's clear that D was very popular around the turn of the century in England and that it replaced C which was exported years earlier and had virtually disappeared in England. D, however was not popular in Scotland, or Ireland, and never had an effect on the versions already established in North America (see only a single stanza from Creighton). Traditional versions stay close to the broadside text except for the added Died for Love ending stanza.
Some Identifiers of Oikotype D
1) "A sailor's life is a merry life"
2) has stanza, "Four-and-twenty sailors, in a row"
3) sweet William
4) "Queen's ship" but varies
5) Has same first two lines beginning "She wrung her hands" in two different stanzas
6) ends, "in her William's arms to lay fast asleep."
Sailor Boy and his Faithful Mary- Oikotype D
1. A sailor's life is a merry life:
They rob young women of their heart's delight,
Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn:
And never know when they will return.
2. Four-and-twenty sailors, in a row;
And my sweet William cuts the brightest show.
He is proper, tall, genteel with all,
If I don't have him I'll have none at all.
3. Father, bring me a little boat
That I may on the ocean float,
And every Queen's ship that I pass by
I may inquire for my sailor boy."
4. She had not sailed on the deep
When a queen's ship she chanced to meet.
You sailors all, pray tell me true,
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?
5. O no, fair lady, he is not here,
For he is drowned, I greatly fear.
On yon green island as we pass by
There we lost sight of our sailor boy.
6. Then she sat down for to write a song,
She wrote it freely and she wrote it long
At every verse she dropped a tear
Saying at the bottom, "I have lost my dear."
7. She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Jut like a woman in great despair,
Her little boat against a rock did run:
Saying, how can I live now my William's gone.
8. O father, father, come dig my grave
Dig it wide both long and deep
And on my tombstone put two turtle doves
So the world might see that I died for love.
9. She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like a lady in deep despair
She flung her body down in the deep
In her true love's arms she fell fast asleep.
* * * *
Oikotype E: US Mid-West and South. This oikotype is not based on any print version but has evolved from a stanza found in Sailing Trade c.1800:
5. The colour of amber is my true love's hair
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms.
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.
This stanza is a description by the maid of her Sailor Boy to the Captain so that he may determine if he's seen the Sailor Boy or knows his whereabouts. The order of the text in the first line was changed and has become "Dark/Black is the color of my true love's hair." By placing the stanza first, the variant becomes a version of Oikotype E and several versions are titled "Black is the color." The earliest extant version with "Dark/Black is the color" stanza first was written down by William Larken from Mrs. C. Froyaughehand of Cincinnati, Ohio in 1863 [from Ruth Ann Musick-The Old Album of William A. Larkin; JAFL Vol. 60, 1947]. It is titled, "Sailler[sic] Boy" but the placement of the stanza is first:
Dark was the coler of my true loves hair
His eyes resembled a lady fair
For no one else can give me joy
None will I have but a sweet sailler boy.
Here are two other early examples collected in the US in the early 1900s.
Brown was the color of my true love's hair,
His cheeks resembled a lily's fair.
If ever he returns it will give me joy,
For none can I wed but my sweet sailor boy.
[2nd stanza, Belden A, 1909 from Mary Van Wormser of the West Plains High School, MO]
Black is the color of my true love's hair,
His cheeks are as red as the roses fair.
If he would return it would give me joy,
For none will I have but my sweet sailor boy.
[1st stanza, Sailor's Sweetheart- Missouri, collected in 1928 by Randolph]
Compare to the standard 1st stanza of the different Appalachian folk song "Black is the Color" popularized by John Jacob Niles. Clearly since the first two lines are virtually the same, it indicated a similar ancestry of the first stanza:
Dark is the color of my sweetheart's hair;
His cheeks are like some roses fair;
The prettiest face and neatest hands,
I love the ground whereon he stands.
[August 1929, collected by Mellinger Henry from Mary E. King, in Gatlinburg Tennessee.]
The first two lines are essentially the same. In the earlier examples of Oikotype E, the last two lines are virtually the same:
If he would return it would give me joy,
For none will I have but my sweet sailor boy.
Oikotype E, popular in the mid-west US, has the "Dark/Black is the color" first stanza and uses that as its opening replacing the openings stanza of Oikotypes A-D. The remaining stanzas are standard with the "Died fro love" ending stanza. Another unique stanza associated with Oikotype E follows:
She hadn't been sailing far on the main,
She spied three ships come in from Spain;
She hailed each captain as he drew nigh,
And of him she did inquire of her sweet sailor boy.
[William H. Landreth's Civil War diary, 1865]
Some Identifiers of Oikotype E
1) Black/Dark is the color
2) bring me joy/sweet sailor boy
3) sailing on the main/ three ships from Spain
4) rocky isle (island)
5) drowned in the gulf
6) She called for a chair
7) sweet William (sweet Willie)
Black is the Color- Oikotype E
1. Black is the color of my true love's hair
His cheeks are like some roses fair
For no one else can give me joy,
None will I have but my sweet sailor boy.
2. Oh father oh father build me a boat
That on the ocean I may float
And every ship that I pass by
I will inquire for my sweet sailor boy
3. Just as she was crossing the main
She spied three ships all out of Spain
And as the captain he drew nigh
She inquired for her sweet sailor boy.
4. "Oh captain, captain tell me true
Does my Sweet William stay with you
Oh tell me quick and give me joy
For none will I have but my sweet sailor boy.
5. "Oh no dear lady, he is not here
He is drowned in the gulf I fear.
Near yon rocky isle as we passed by
There is where we lost your sweet sailor boy."
6. She run her boat against a rock
I thought the lady's heart was broke
She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Like a lady all in despair.
7. She called for a chair to sit upon
A pen and ink to write it down
And at the end of every line she shed a tear
And at the end of every verse cried, "Oh my dear."
8. It's dig my grave both wide and deep
Place a marble tombstone at my head and feet.
And on my breast a turtle dove
To testify that I died for love.
The foundation of Oikotype E is Willliam Larkin's 's 1863 version. Randolph A is another full version. Some versions, with the identifiers of Oikotype E and "Black is the color" as a secondary stanza (not the first stanza), have other opening stanzas from A-D. In the US there's a blending of stanzas with the "drowned in the gulf," "main/Spain" and "joy/sailor boy" identifiers. The primary opening of versions with "Black is the color" as a secondary stanza is "dreary life" ("cruel life") associated with Scottish B. Following are some versions of Oikotype E, most have "Black is the Color" as the first stanza:
Sailler Boy- Mrs. Froyaughehand (OH) 1863 Larkin
Sailor Boy- Ada Belle Cowden (MO) 1909 Belden B
Sailor's Trade- Mary Van Wormser (MO) 1909 Belden C
Sailor Boy- A. K. Moore (NC) c.1915 Greer LV4
Sailor Boy- Mrs. Thomas (MO) 1928 Randolph A
Soldier Lover- Mary King (TN) 1929 Henry A
Black Is the Color- Cassity (KY) 1937 Lomax
Black is the Color- woman (MO) c.1956 Godsey
Sailor Boy- May Kennedy McCord (MO) c.1958 Beers/Max Hunter D
Black is the Color- Mrs. Bobbie Barnes (MO) 1958 Hunter B
Sweet Soldier Boy- Lee Monroe Presnell (NC) c.1961 Paton
My True Sailor Boy- Susie Daley (OK) pre1962 Moores
Soldier Boy- Buna Hicks (NC) 1966 Burton/Manning
Boatman, Boatman- O.B. Campbell (OK) 1971 Hunter F
It's apparent that Oikotype E is fairly old (guestimated as late 1700s early 1800s) and that some of the identifiers ("main/Spain" and "joy/sailor boy") originated in the US shortly after the ballad was brought over since they are not found in the UK.
* * * *
The "Sailor Boy" Ballad by Geographic Region with Oikotypes in Chronological order
The versions will be classified by the five oikotypes in different regions, three in the UK and five in North America. The two versions from British colonies will be listed in the UK. In the US especially there is a blurring of oikotype with E being used with other openings. Usually the opening stanza will determine the type of oikotype. Many versions do not have an opening stanza and these will use other identifiers. Fragments, 3 stanzas or less, will not be included.
England
The Sailor Boy- (London) 1810 Merry Songs, J Evans [Oikotype C, print]
Sailor Boy & his Faithful Mary- (London) c.1820 Pitts [Oikotype D, print]
Sailor Boy- K. L. (London) 1862 Monthly Packet [Oikotype D]
Early, Early All in the Spring- Hollings (Linc) 1870 [Oikotype A] w/suicide by hanging, Died for Love
Sweet William- Mrs. Harley (Worc) 1893 Broadwood [Oikotype B] No opening stanza
Sweet William- J. Woodrich (Dev) 1894 B. Gould [Oikotype A]
A Sailor's Life- Henry Hills (Sus) 1899 Merrick [Oikotype D]
Sweet William- T. Sprachlan (Som) 1903 Sharp MS [Oikotype D]
A Sailor's Life- Jake Toms (Dorset) 1905 Hammond [Oikotype D]
Early Early All in the Spring- Gulliver (Som) 1905 [Oikotype A]
A Sailor's Life- Mrs. Small (Sus) 1905 Broadwood [Oikotype D]
Sailor Boy- Ann Hiles (Linc) 1905 Grainger [Oikotype D] no opening
Sweet William- Robert Slade (Dors) 1906 Hammond [Oikotype D] no opening
Sweet William- Job Read (Hamp) 1906 Gardiner [Oikotype D]
Sweet William- William Bone (Hamp) 1907 Gardiner [Oikotype D]
Sweet William- G. Baldwin (Hamp) 1907 Gardiner [Oikotype D]
Down By Some River- Mr. Flint (Surrey) 1907 RVW [Oikotype C]
Early All in the Spring- Lane (Glou) 1908 Grainger [Oikotype A]
Sweet William- Anon (Sussex) c.1908 Gardiner MS [Oikotype B] no opening
Father, Build me a Boat- Mrs. Collinson (Wes) 1909 [possibly Oikotype C] no opening, has "Jimmy"
Father Get Me a Little Boat-(Suf) 1909 Butterworth [Oikotype D]
Early All in the Spring- Yeldman (Essex) 1911 Carey [Oikotype A]
A Sea Song- Andrew Dobson (Surrey) 1912 Carey [Oikotype D]
Sailor Boy- John Puffet (Glou) 1916 A. Williams [Oikotype A]
Sweet William- 100 English Folk Songs 1916 Sharp [Oikotype D] Compilation, one stanza from B
Early One Morning- N. Ridley (Kent) 1928 MacColl [Oikotype A] has Croppy Boy; Died for Love; mix
A Seaman's Life- Hill/Wasp (Suf) 1931 Moeran [Oikotype D]
Dear Father, Pray Build Me a Boat-Smith (Sus) 1952 [Oikotype B] traveller version
Come, Father, Build Me a Boat- Scamp (Kent) 1954 [Oikotype A] no opening, confused
Sweet William- Harry Cox (Norfolk) 1956 REC [Oikotype B] no opening
My Love Willie- Danny Brazil (Glou) 1966 Shepheard [Oikotype B] no opening
Sweet William- Birkett (Cum) 1974 M. Waterson [Oikotype A] w/suicide by hanging, Died for Love
Sweet William- Phoebe Smith (Suf) c.1975 Yates [Oikotype D]
Early, early in the Spring- N. Perks (Glou) c.1975 [Oikotype A]
Little Boy Billee- Bob Roberts (Suf) 1977 REC [Oikotype B] no opening
Early in Spring- Fred Whiting (Suf) 1985 Howson [Oikotype A]
Sweet William- Fred Jordan (Shrop) c. 1990 REC [Oikotype B] no opening
Sweet William- Viv Legg (N. Corn) c.2000 REC [Oikotype B] no opening
Of the 39 English somewhat complete versions there is only one version of C, by Mr. Flint in 1907. There are 10 versions of A and 2 with the suicide by hanging as found in the first in ButcherBoy (Hollings), the second from Maiden's Prayer (Waterson). There are 16 versions of the once popular D which fell out of favor by the 1950s.
Ireland
Sailor Boy- (Limerick) c.1770 Goggin broadside [Oikotype A]
Sailor Boy- Tom Sweetman (Wex) c.1817 Kennedy [Oikotype A]
Young Lady's Lamentation- (Dub) 1867 P. Brereton [Oikotype A]
The Constant Lover and her Sailor Boy- (IR) c.1880 [Oikotype A]
My Fine Sailor Boy- Hugh Quinn (Belf) c.1895 Rawn [Oikotype A]
Young Lady's Lamentation- (Dub) 1909 broadside [Oikotype A] no opening stanza
Father Build Me a Boat- Anon (Kerry) 1930 Hughes [Oikotype A]
My Boy Willie- Joe Heaney (Gal) c1938 REC [Oikotype A]
My Boy Willie- Anon (Dublin) 1939 O Lochlainn [Oikotype A] no opening stanza
Early, Early All In The Spring- Hammond (Bel) 1958 [Oikotype A]
Early in the Month of Spring- McCarthy (Kerry) 1974 [Oikotype A]
Willie, The Bold Sailor Boy- Jefferies (Wex) 1976 [Oikotype B]
Willie-O: Maggie Murphy (Ferm) 1982 Yates [Oikotype A]
My Love Willie- Tim Lyons (Dub) 1998 REC [Oikotype A]
My Sailor Boy- Ann Wilson (Dub) 2002 REC [Oikotype A]
Of the 15 Irish versions in the this collection only 1 is a version of Oikotype B. The rest are all Oikotype A-- only two versions are missing the "Early, Early All in the Spring" opening stanza.
Scotland -all "Oikotype B" save for one version
Sailing Trade (Edinburgh) 1800 J. Morren, chapbook [Oikotype B]
My Love William- Sam Noble (Dundee) c.1875 [Oikotype D]
Sailing Trade- Mary Guthrie (Aber) 1876 Christie [Oikotype B]
Sailor Boy- (Lon) 1891 Ashton; Real Sailor Songs
Sailor's Life- Willie Mathieson (Aber) 1894 REC
Sailor Boy- J. W. Spence (Fyvie) c.1906 Greig D
Sailing Trade- Robert Chree (Aber) 1907 Greig A
Sailor Boy- Annie Ritchie (Aber) 1908 Greig C
Sailing Trade- Annie Shirer (Aber) 1908 Greig I
Sailing Trade- Anon (Aber) c.1908 Greig J
Broken-Hearted Lover- Anderson (Aber) 1908 Greig K
Young Sailor Boy- Mrs. Duncan (Aber) 1908 Greig L
Sailing Trade- Kate Mitchel (Aber) c.1909 Grieg B
Sailor Boy- Annie Taylor (Aber) c1910 REC
My Willie Boy- Jimmy MacBeath (Moray) 1952 REC
Sailor Boy- Geordie Robertson (Aber) 1954 REC
William Boy- Maggie Stewart (Kinc) 1954 REC
Sailor's Life- Elsie Morrison (Moray) 1956 REC
The Sailor Boy- Lucy Stewart (Aber) 1959 REC
Sailor Boy- Jessie MacDonald (Aber) 1968 Hall
My Boy Willie- Maggie McPhee (Aber) 1977 MacColl
Sailin's a Weary Life- Elizabeth Stewart (Aber) 1987
A few of the 22 somewhat complete Scottish versions are missing the opening stanza but all should be considered versions of Oikotype B except for "My Love William" from Sam Noble born in Scotland but learned as a sailor aboard English ships. "Sailing Trade" by Robert Chree is 11 stanza, one longer than the Sailing Trade chapbook print. The openings vary from "A sailing trade" to "A sailor's life is a weary life" to "Sailin', sailin's a weary life." The version sung by Maggie Stewart in 1954 begins with "What a name" a stanza used by her and her mother in their version of Died for Love. Stewart's version was also learned from her mother and has an unusual melody.
British Colonies
Henry Dear- Frances Repetto (Tristan de Cuhna) c.1938 Munch [Oikotype A]
Lost Sailor- Simon McDonald (Ausralia) 1959 O'Connor [Oikotype A or possibly C]
Canada
Sailor Boy- Edward Hovington (QC-IR) 1847 Barbeau [Oikotype A]
The Sailor Boy- Eileen Bleakney (OT-IR) c.1878 [Oikotype A] no opening stanza
Sailor Boy- Mrs. Curran (NL) 1929 Karpeles [Oikotype A]
Sailor Lad- Muriel Henneberry (NS) 1930 Creighton [Oikotype B] no opening stanza
Sailor Bold- Mrs. Kelley (NS) c.1932 Creighton [Oikotype B] no opening stanza
Sailor Boy- William Riley (Labrador) 1960 Leach [Oikotype A]
Sailor's Trade- Power/Brennan (NL) 1983 Best [Oikotype B and A] Two openings
The seven Canadian versions in my collection are versions of A, Irish and B, Scottish. The two early versions are directly related to Ireland and are versions of Oikotype A. The Bleakney text that she learned from her aunts is missing the opening stanza. Karpeles collected the first version in Newfoundland in 1929. Three versions, one a fragment of D, were published in Creighton's 1933 book, Songs and Ballads of Nova Scotia. The Pinery Boy collected in Wisconsin from Thomas Ward in 1867 by Rickaby is said to have originated in Canada but will listed in the Mid-West.
New England
Murmering Side- Samuel Bunker (MA) 1824 Frank A [archaic Oikotype C]
Sailor's Trade- T. Bryant (MA) 1847 Huntington [Oikotype A, also B]
Sailor's Trade- George Piper (MA) c.1868 Frank C [Oikotype A]
Sailor Boy- Christine Chaplin Brush (ME-MA) 1889 [Oikotype A]
Song of the Sea- Mrs. Fisher (MA) 1909 Chapple [Oikotype B]
Father Build Me a Boat- Sullivan(VT) 1939 Flanders [Oikotype A, unclear] no opening
I'll Sit Down & Write a Song- Lena Fish (NH) 1940 [Oikotype A]
Willie on the Sea- W. Thompson (VT) 1942 Flanders [Oikotype B, variable] no opening
Sailor's Wife- Charles Brink (PA) 1949 Bayard [Oikotype E mix]
In 1940 Belden reported that "I have not found it reported from the North Atlantic states."At the time the versions from the whaling ship logs were unknown. Two versions were published by Brush(1889) and Chapple(1909) that Belden should have known about. The versions by Flanders certainly were unknown. The New England versions from the whaling ships are very important. "Murmering Side" by Samuel Bunker in c.1824 is the archaic revealing what has been predicted to be the unknown orignal broadside from the late 1600s, archaic Oikotype C. All three whaling versions have "Early, early" and the two earliest have elements of B. The Flanders version by Sullivan is very poorly recorded and without an opening stanza. The "Sailor's Wife" sung by Charles Brink and recorded by Bayard in 1949 (listen online) is archaic and unusual-- its unique opening stanza has the name Mary while it has elements of Oikotype E (bay, Spain) usually found in Mid-west or South.
Mid-West (Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, adding Utah, Kansas)
Sailler Boy- Mrs. Froyaughehand (OH) 1863 Larkin [Oikotype E]
Heart-Rending Boat Ballad- Landreth (MO) 1864 [Oikotype E, secondary]
The Pinery Boy- Thomas Ward (WS) 1867 Rickaby [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- Maude Williams (MO) 1903 Belden A [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- Ada Belle Cowden (MO) 1909 Belden B [Oikotype E]
Sailor's Trade- M.V. Wormser (MO) 1909 Belden C [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
California Boy- C. McDonald (MO) 1914 Belden D [Oikotype B, secondary]
Sailor Boy- Mabel Tuggle (MI-VA) 1916 Gardner [Oikotype E] no opening
Sailor Boy- Earl Cruickshank (MO) 1920 Belden E [Oikotype E] no opening
Sailor Boy- Henry Maurer (OH) 1922 Eddy JAFL [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- Mrs. J. B. O' Connell (OH) 1922 Star [Oikotype A] no opening
Sailor Boy- Mrs. Thomas (MO) 1928 Randolph A [Oikotype E]
Sailor Boy- Nancy P. Coleman (IN) 1935 Brewster [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor's Trade- Denoon (MO) 1938 Randolph C [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sweet William- Mrs. Tyler (MO) 1939 Randolph D [Oikotype A]
Sailor's Trade- Elizabeth Koffel (OH) 1939 Eddy B [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor's Trade- Mrs. L.A. Lind (OH) 1939 Eddy C [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sweet William- Mrs. S.T.Topper (OH) 1939 Eddy D [Oikotype B] no opening
Sweet William- Mrs. Davis (TN-OH) 1939 Eddy E [Oikotype E] no opening
Lost Willie- Florence McKee (OH) 1939 Eddy F [Oikotype C]
Sailor's Trade- Roseina Reber (UT) 1947 Hubbard [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Black is the Color- woman (MO) c.1956 Godsey [Oikotype E]
Sailor Boy- May Kennedy McCord (MO) 1958 Beers [Oikotype E]
The 23 nearly complete versions from the Mid-west are dominated by the US Oikotype E which has the "Black/Dark is the color" stanza, the "main/Spain" and "Rocky Isle" identifiers. Occasionally the fundamental E has an opening stanza from A, or B. "Lost Willie" Eddy F, is a rare version of Oikotype C. There are only two versions of A (Irish) while most of the versions with a B opener are followed by identifiers from E.
Southeast, Appalachia (including Maryland)
My Sweet William- (NC) pre1900 Eames [Oikotype A or B] no opening; has hanging suicide
Sailor Boy- Matilda Heishman (WV) 1901 Cox B [archaic Oikotype C]
Song Ballet [Soldier Life]- Edwards (GA) 1914 Rawn [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- Daisy Watkins (WV) c.1915 Cox C [Oikotype C, with E identifiers]
Father, Go Build me a Boat- Mary Smith (NC) 1915 [Oikotype E] no opening
Sweet Sailor Boy- (NC) c.1915 Greer LV3 [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- A. K. Moore (NC) c.1915 Greer LV4 [Oikotype E]
Sweet Willie- Anon (NC) c.1915 Greer LV6 [Composite, non-conforming]
A Soldier's Trade- W. Wells (NC) 1916 Sharp A [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Soldier Boy- Rosie Hensley (NC) 1916 Sharp B [Oikotype E] no opening
Soldier Life- Ethel Edward (GA) 1916 Rawn [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Moment's River Side- L. Collins (WV) 1917 Cox A [Oikotype C]
Sailor Boy- Fanny Coffey (VA) 1917 Sharp G [Oikotype E] no opening
Sweet Willie- Nannie Weaver (VA) 1918 Sharp MS [Oikotype C]
Prentice Boy- Mrs. Tillett (NC) 1923 Brown I [Oikotype A, composite]
A Soldier's Life- Jessie McCue (WV) 1925 Cox II [Oikotype B, with E identifier] Composite
Sweet Willie- Mrs. G.L.Bostic (NC) 1929 Brown 4N [Oikotype A or B] no opening, has hanging
Soldier Lover- Mary King (TN) 1929 Henry A [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sweet Soldier Boy- Mrs. Wilson (NC) 1930 Henry B [Oikotype E] no opening
Soldier Boy- Rena Hicks (NC) 1933 Abrams [Oikotype B, with E identifier]
Careless Love- Edward Tufts (NC) 1933 Matteson [composite, one stanza]
Black Is the Color- Rube Cassity (KY) 1937 Lomax [Oikotype E]
Sweet Willie- Edith Walker (NC) 1939 Brown E [composite, two stanzas] no opening
Sweet Willie- Alice Tucker (MD) pre1944 Carey [composite, Died for Love] no opening
Sailor Shantey- Gertrude Crooks (AL) 1947 Arnold [Oikotype A]
Oh, Father, Father, Build Me a Boat- (WV) 1953 WV Folklore [Oikotype C]
Sweet William- Mrs. L. A. Stewart (KY) 1955 [Oikotype E identifiers] no opening
Soldier Boy- Mrs. Dillingham (KY-AR) 1959 Parler D [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sweet Soldier Boy- Lee Presnell (NC) c.1961 Paton [Oikotype E]
Papa, Papa, Build Me a Boat- Boggs (VA) 1965 REC [composite]
Soldier Boy- Buna Hicks (NC) 1966 Burton/Manning [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
A Sailor's Life- R.J. Shinn (WV) 1969 Bush II [Oikotype B]
O Father, Build me a Boat- Mary Wilson (WV) 1975 [Oikotype C recreation]
Of the 33 versions from the Southeast there are 6 versions of Oikotype C and a number of composites, one with the hanging/suicide and another with Butcher Boy/Died for Love (Maryland). There is only one certain version of A and two that could be either A or B. E is strongly represented as in all the US versions and the E identifiers usually follow the B opening stanza "dreary/weary life." The Southeast and Appalachia versions are diverse and archaic. Oikotype C had a strong presence in West Virginia, with one archaic C representing the original missing English broadside from the late 1690s.
Southwest (Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas)
Sweet William- C.A.Rogers (MS) 1864 Kittredge [Composite, Died for Love] hanging suicide
Captain, Captain, Tell me True- Dalhart (TX) 1925 REC [Composite, with recreation]
Soldier Boy- Emma Dusenbury (AR) 1936 Lomax [Oikotype E identifiers] no opening
Sailor Boy- Anon (TX) 1950 Owens [Oikotype B, with E identifiers]
Sailor Boy- William H. Burnett (AR) 1954 Parler C [Oikotype B with E identifiers
Soldier's Life- Barry Satterfield (AR) 1955 Parler [Oikotype B with E identifiers]
A Sailor's Life- Mary Jo Davis (AR) 1958 O'Bryant [Oikotype B with E identifiers]
Willie Boy- Lucy Quigley (AR) 1958 Hunter A [Oikotype C]
Sailor Boy- Harrison Burnett (AR) 1959 Hunter E [Oikotype B with E identifiers]
My True Sailor Boy- Susie Daley (OK) 1962 Moores [Oikotype E identifiers] no opening
Boatman, Boatman- Campbell (OK) 1971 Hunter F [Oikotype E identifiers] no opening
Of the 10 Southwest version there is one C, and two composites. The popular version recorded by Texan Vernon Dalhart has an ending recreated by Victor Records and is not traditional. The other versions are the B opening stanza with E identifiers.
* * * *
Some Conclusions
"Sailor Boy," or, "Sweet William" is a traditional ballad derived from print that was popular in the UK and North America and is still sung today. The print versions have one stanza in common (the letter writing/song writing stanza) with Died for Love and additional stanzas have been borrowed especially the ending "Go Dig a grave" stanza. The association seems to be brought about by a similar melody and the "letter writing/song writing" stanza which acts as a trigger to include the associated Died for Love stanzas which follow. The "write a song" stanza also appears in "I am a Rover," a mid-1800s song composed of floating stanzas from the Died for Love extended family.
Several versions in the UK (Hollings/Waterson) and the US (Kittredge/Eames) have the suicide by hanging associated with the Butcher Boy/Maiden's Prayer and earlier versions of Died for Love. Died for Love, B, The Cruel Father is about an apprentice who is pressed to sea by the Cruel Father and becomes a sailor aboard a man-of-war. There may be an early unknown association between Sailor Boy and Cruel Father but they are different songs.
The extant print versions seem to stem from an unknown missing English (London) print of c. 1680-1718 which was used by John Gay for this recreation "Black-Eyed Susan" in 1720. Further evidence of this ballad is found in two traditional archaic versions of C from the US, one dated 1824 which reveal some of the original missing print's stanzic structure and content. Identifiers of archaic C include "murmuring river side" and "jovial sailors." By the late 1700s and early 1800s the ballad was printed with different opening stanzas, the popular Irish "Early, early, in the spring" of A, the Scottish "Sailor's trade" of B, and the English "Down by some crystal river side" of C. Twenty or thirty years later a new broadside, D, was printed with the "Sailor's life is a merry life" opening similar to B which became popular in the mid-1800s to early 1900s in England and was widely collected. C, the presumed oldest print version, was exported to the US and enjoyed limited circulation in Appalachia. C disappeared in England save for one extant version collected in 1907. These ballad types have been labeled Oikotypes A-D, each having specific identifiers. The ballad is presumed to have come to North America during the Colonial Period[] which would be the mid-1700s. The versions in the US retain the standard print openings of A-C but have new identifiers associated with a stanza (The colour of amber) from the 1800 Scottish "Sailing Trade" which became "Black/Dark is the color of my true loves hair." In the US a new "Black is the Color" stanza was developed with the two last lines[15]:
Oh, if ever he returns it will give me great joy,
For none will I have but my sweet soldier boy. [Cassidy, Kentucky, 1937]
This new variant found in the US has been labeled Oikotype E, and includes new identifiers such as "main/Spain" and "Rocky Isle/rocky Island." The 'Black is the Color" stanza is frequently secondary to an opening derived from Oikotype B, and in the US it usually begins, "A sailor's/soldier's life is a dreary/weary life." The new identifiers of E appear to be quite old[16] and were either changed in the US or came from a missing print in the UK.
This popular ballad has been joined with a number of ballads/songs and composites were formed. Most involve songs from the Died for Love family and are listed above along with the Oikotypes by Geographic Region. One composite, a song derived from the "Captain, captain" stanza, is called "Sailor on the Deep Blue Sea." This composite, my 7Aa, originated in the US southeast during the early 1900s and the version by the Carter Family recorded in 1928 became the standard and entered tradition.
The total number of Sailor Boy ballads in this study is about 225 and represents a good portion of the extant printed and collected versions. There are still quite a few missing-- some were never printed in full or only listed without text, while others are inaccessible, either in collections or obscure sources. Enough versions were available to reach some conclusions and establish the five ballads types,
Richard L. Matteson Jr. 2017
Port. St. Lucie, Florida
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Footnotes:
1. This title is also the main title for (Laws M1 Roud #152) which is based on the late 17th century Seaman's Complaint for his Unkind Mistress, of Wapping. For comparison, here are the first three stanzas of a version of "Early, Early in the Spring" from Mamie Poindexter, Pine Valley, Calhoun County, MS from AP Hudson, 1936 Folksongs of Mississippi:
Early, early in the spring
I was cast on board to serve my king,
Leaving my dearest dear behind,
Who often told me that her heart was mine.
As I was sailing on the sea,
I had an opportunity
Of writings letters to my dear,
But not one word from her could I hear.
I rode till I came to her father's hall
And for my love began to call.
Her father made me this reply:
"Begone young man, she has you denied.
2. The full "colour of amber" stanza is first found in stanza 5 of "Sailing Trade," printed in a Scottish chapbook (about 1800):
The colour of amber is my true love's hair
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms.
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.
The shorter reply of two stanzas usually found in the US is found in "Black is the Color" a Missouri variant collected in the 1950s:
Black, black is the color of my true love's hair,
His face is like some lily fair.
If ever he returns it will give me great joy,
For none can I love but my sweet sailor boy.
The earliest extant source of the "colour of amber" stanzas is a Scottish chapbook dated c. 1800 where the stanza appears in a version of Sailor Boy titled, Sailing Trade. Clearly the stanza is related to "Black is the Colour" as found by Sharp in North Carolina in 1916 and popularized by John Jacob Niles in the 1940s. The stanza is also attached to a ballad from Newfoundland which is a variant of "Early, Early in the Spring" (Laws M1 Roud #152) which is a different song (see footnote 1).
3. This is purely speculation since "The Cruel Father" was not popular in England and only one traditional version has been recovered by Moeran ("Isle of Cloy") in the 1930s. Rambling Boy was popular in the early 1800s. The suicide is found in Cruel Father, Rambling Boy, one archaic Scottish version of Foolish Young Girl/Irish Boy, and the post World War I variant "Maiden's Prayer.
4. As ballads and songs were popular subjects for poets such as John Gay, lines 4-6 as well as the theme seem to prove that Gay's poem was based on an unknown antecedent of Sailor Boy. No extant print survives before c.1770 but a number of ballads are certainly based on missing prints.
5. The song is commonly known as "Black-Eyed Susan" and according to Chappell: "This still popular song was composed by Richard Leveridge, author of The roast beef of Old England, and of several other favorite songs. He was a bass singer at the Theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. . ." It may be presumed that Gay could have met Leverage at the Theatre in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
6. Steve Gardham has mentioned several other broadsides with similar/duplicate texts which I have not included in my list. It is important to include representative broadsides, however, my goal is not to include every possible broadside.
7. Archaic C would likely have been brought during the later years of the Colonial Period which ended in 1776. In his book, Ballads in America, Scott stated that the ballad (Sweet William) was brought to America during the Colonial Period but gives no evidence.
8. Quoted from a personal email sent to me in early 2017.
9. Traditional versions were published before 1893 but not presented in a collection as traditional ballads or songs. A number of earlier traditional versions were published after 1893 by collectors but Broadwood's could arguably be the first.
10. "The Sailor Boy," (Oh! the sailing trade is a weary life) sung by Tom Sweetman, a Wexford farm worker was reported by Patrick Kennedy (1801 Wexford- 1873 Dublin) from his early days in Wexford around 1817. It first appeared in From The Banks of the Boro: A Chronicle of the County of Wexford (1867) completed in 1856. The chapter with Sailor Boy was published in The Dublin University Magazine, August, 1862. It's doubtful that Kennedy recollected the exact text from 1817 in 1856 unless he had written it down in 1817. The text is probably a recreation by Kennedy.
11. "The ballad of America: the history of the United States in song and story" by John Anthony Scott, published by Grosset and Dunlap, 1966. Curiously Scott uses the text of a 1939 Irish street ballad that he changed and titled "Sweet William" as his example of the ballad in America.
12. See footnote 9, this is probably a recreation. I doubt this text was remembered from Kennedy's early days (1817) in Wexford. There is a possibility that this account and text was written down about 1817 and then later published.
13. The letter is found online at the RV Williams site: Lucy Broadwood Manuscript Collection (LEB/4/28).
14. The missing print is revealed by three lines in John Gay's poem later set to music as "Black-Eyed Susan" as well as several traditional versions of C.
15. "Sailor boy" and "soldier boy" are used interchangeably without any significance.
16. Although no early date of E may be verified, versions of E would be given and estimated early date of the late 1700s.
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Some Texts
Cc, "Sailor Boy," ("Down by a crystal river side" ) Pitts printer, Wholesale Toy and marble war[e]house. 6 Great st Andrew street 7 dils [sic] London, 1819 and 1844.
Down by a crystal river side,
Where silver streams did gently glide,
I heard a damsel making moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy's gone.
Go fetch me some little boat
That on the ocean I may float,
Through the French ships as they pass by
Enquiring for my sailor boy.
She had not sailed on the deep
Before five sail the French ships she did meet,
Come tell me ye jovial ship's crew,
If my true love sails along with you.
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Cb. Catnatch 1813
Down by a crystal river side,
Where silver streams did gently glide,
I heard a damsel making moan,
How can I live now my Jemmy is gone.
Go fetch me some little boat
That I may on the ocean float,
Through the French ships as they I pass by
Enquiring for my sailor boy.
She had not sailed on the deep
Before five sail the French ships she did meet,
Come tell me ye jovial ship's crew,
If my true love sails along with you.
O no fair lady he is not here,
For he is drown'd I greatly fear,
For on yonder green island as I pass'd by
There we did lose your sailor boy.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like a woman in despair,
Her boat against a rock did run,
O how can I live now my Jemmy's gone.
So now you maids that dress in black,
That for a sailor boy you do lack
With a black top mast and sails so wide
That parted me and my sailor boy.
Down by the silent shady grove,
There I will mourn for my true love,
And tell all the small birds my grief,
For they alone afford me relief.
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L. "The Sailor Boy" from Ashton's "Real Sailor Songs" of 1891. Cf. B, The Sailing Trade
1. THE sailing trade is a weary life,
It's robb'd me of my heart's delight,
And left me here in tears to mourn,
Still waiting for my love's return.
2. Like one distracted this fair maid ran,
For pen and paper to write her song,
And at ev'ry line she drop't a tear,
Crying alas! for Billy my dear.
3. Thousands, thousands all in a room,
My love he carries the brightest bloom,
He surely is some chosen one,
I will have him, or else have none.
4. The grass doth grow on every lea,
The leaf doth fall from every tree,
How happy that small bird doth cry,
That her true love doth by her lie.
5. The colour of amber is my true love's hair,
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare,
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms,
I'd fain lay a night in his lovely arms.
6. Father, father, build me a boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And every ship that doth pass by,
I may enquire for my sailor boy.
7. She had not sail'd long on the deep,
Till a man of war she chanc'd to meet,
O sailor, sailor, send send me word.
If my true love William be on board.
8. Your true love William is not here,
For he is kill’d and so I fear;
For the other day as we pass’d by,
We see'd him list in the Victory,
9. She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Crying alas! my dearest dear,
And over board her body threw,
Bidding all worldly things adieu!