Banks of Green Willow- Armstrong 1992
[Sheet Music from Digital Tradition. The reason she is being thrown overboard has been left out in this version, compromising story the ballad.]
BANKS OF GREEN WILLOW- recorded by Frankie Armstrong
Voices English Traditional Songs Various Artists. Fellside Recordings FECD87 ( CD, UK, 1992)
It's of a sea captain, lived by the sea side oh
And he has courted a fair maid till she's proved with child oh
Crying, "Oh my love, what shall I do and what will become of me
For my father and mother they will both disown me"
"Go fetch some of your father's gold and some of your mother's money
And you can sail the ocean along with your Johnny"
So she's fetched some of her father's gold and some of her mother's money
And she's gone on board a ship along with her Johnny
They hadn't been a sailing scarce six weeks nor so many
Before she wanted woman's help and could not get any
"oh hold your tongue you foolish girl, oh hold your tongue my honey
For we cannot get woman's help for love nor for money"
They hadn't been a sailing scarce six miles nor so many
Before she was delivered of a beautiful baby
"Sea captain, sea captain, here's fifty pounds for thee
If you'll fetch me home safe again, both me and my baby"
"Oh no," says the sea captain, "For such a thing can never be
For tis better to loose two lives than it is to loose many"
So he's tied a kerchief round her head, he's tied it soft andeasy
And he has thrown her right overboard, both she and her baby
"See how my love do swim, my boys, see how my love do quiver
She will never cease swimming till the banks of green willow"
"My love shall have a coffin of the gold that shines so yellow
And she shall be buried by the banks of green willow"