Brisk Young Sailor- Ford/Mrs. Cranstone (Sus) 1908
[From George Butterworth Manuscript Collection (GB/12/3). Stanza 2 is similar to a stanza in "The Effects of Love- A New Song," broadside; 1 sheet; 1/80. British Library 11621.k.4(158), London c.1780. George Butterworth collected the version sung by Mrs. Cranstone of Billingshurst, July, 1909. The first stanza with same text and tune were noted by Francis Jekyll in 1908.
Also in Butterworth's "Folk Songs from Sussex" published in 1913:
BUTTERWORTH, G.: Songs from A Shropshire Lad / Folk Songs from Sussex (English Song, Vol. 20) tune Mr. Ford, Text Mrs. Cranstone:
[7] A brisk young sailor courted me
A brisk young sailor courted me,
He stole away my liberty,
He won my heart with a free good-will,
He’s false, I know, but I love him still.
There is an alehouse in yonder town,
Where my love goes and sits him down,
He takes another girl on his knee,
And don’t you think that’s a grief to me?
A grief to me! I’ll tell you why,
Because she’s got more gold than I,
Her gold will waste and her beauty blast,
And she’ll become like me at last.
O what a foolish girl was I
To give my heart to a sailor boy,
A sailor boy although he be,
I love him better than he loves me.
Notice that Butterworth's fourth stanza is not part of Mrs. Cranstone text (see below)!
R. Matteson 2017]
A Brisk Young Sailor- Tune noted by Francis Jekyll in 1908. Tune and 1st stanza given by Mr. Ford of Scaynes Hill, Sussex; additional words by Mrs. Cranstone.
1. A brisk young sailor courted me
He stole away my liberty.
He won my heart with a free good will
He's false I know, but I love him still.
2. Where love is hot, where love is cold
Where love is conquered by young and old,
Love is such a silly thing
Love will to the grave me bring.
3. When I wore my apron low
My love followed me through frost and snow,
But now my apron is up to my chin
My love will pass by and say nothing.
4. On yonder hill there stands an inn
Where my love goes and sits him down.
He takes another girl on his knee,
He'll smile on her, and frown on me.
5. The reason of this I'll tell you why,
Because she's got more gold than I,
Gold will waste and her beauty blast,
She'll become like me at last.
6. I wish to my heart my babe was born,
Sat, smiling on his daddy's knee,
And me myself wrapped in cold clay,
And the green grass growing over me.
7. On yonder hill there is a house,
Where my love goes, where he does dwell;
He's got two hearts instead of one,
He'll be a rogue when I am gone.
8. Dig my grave both wide and deep,
And place two stones at the head and feet,
In the middle place a turtle dove,
To let the world know I died for love.
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