A Sailor's Life- Jake Toms (Dorset) 1905 Hammond
[From: Henry Hammond Manuscript Collection (HAM/2/5/28). Similar to D, 1st stanza has variant last two lines. 2nd stanza has "William sweet." No music was found, text only.
R. Matteson 2017]
A Sailor's Life- sung by Jake Toms of Bere Regis, Dorset in August, 1905
A sailor's life is a merry life:
To rob young girls of their heart's delight,
But where he's gone I cannot tell:
I'm afraid he's gone with some other girl.
Now father, build me a little boat
That on the ocean I may float,
And every King's ship that I do meet
I will enquire for my William sweet."
She had not a-sailed far upon the deep
Before some lofty King's ship she did meet,
Saying, "Jovial seaman, come tell me true,
Is my sweet William aboard with you?"
O no, fair lady, he is not here,
He is a-drownded, I greatly fear.
The other night when the wind blew high
Then we did lose a young sailor boy."
She wrung her hand and she tore her hair,
Like to a woman in despair,
"This little boat against a rock shall run:
How can I live when my Billy's gone.