Elder Bordee- Older (NY) 1960 Porter/Paton REC
[Folkways: Champlain Valley Songs, 1960 collected Porter, recorded Pete Seeger; also Folk-Legacy FSA 15 (`Lawrence Older') recorded by Sandy Paton in 1963. His notes follow.
Cf. Flanders, Ancient Ballads Traditionally Sung in New England, Volume 4; Collected from Mrs. Silence Buck Bellows, from her grandfather's singing.
R. Matteson 2016]
The pirate ballad "Sir Andrew Barton" was recorded by Paton in Older's "Elder Bordee" in 1963, proving that a sea-farer's song could work its way up into the Adirondacks and take permanent hold there.
Elder Bordee - as sung by Lawrence Older
1 There were three brothers in merry Scotland,
Three loving brothers were they,
And they did cast lots to see which should go to sail,
Robbing all 'round the salt sea.
2 The lot it fell upon Elder Bordee,
The youngest of the three,
That he, to maintain the others, to sail,
While robbing all 'round the salt sea.
3. They had not sailed one day, two, nor three
'Fore a ship they espied,
A-sailing far off and a-sailing far on,
And at length they came sailing close by;
4 "Who's there? Who's there" cried Elder Bordee,
"Who's there that sailing so nigh?"
"We are three merchant vessels of old England;
And of no offense, let us pass by."
5. "No, no, no, no," cried Elder Bordee,
"No, no, that never can be.
Your ships I will have and your cargo my boys,
And your bodies I'll cast in the sea."
I'll have your ship and your cargo boys,
And your bodies I'll drown in the sea."
6. And when this reached King Henery's[1] throne,
The man that wore the crown,
To think that three of his vessels were lost
And all of his merry men drowned.
7. "O build a ship!" cried King Henery
"O build it safe and sure.
If Elder Bordee you do not bring me,
My life I'll no longer endure.
8. They built a ship both safe and sure,
As you will understand,
And Captain Charles Stewart they put on board
To take the bold command.
9. He had not sailed one day, two, nor three,
'Fore three vessels he did espy
A-sailing far off and a-sailing far on,
And at length they came sailing close by.
10. "Who's there? Who's there?" cried Captain Charles Stewart,
"Who's there that's sailing so nigh?"
"We're three bold robbers from merry Scotland
And of no offense, let us pass by."
11. "No, no, no, no," cried Captain Charles Stewart,
"No, no. That never can be.
Your ships I will have and your cargo, my boys,
And your bodies I'll carry with me."
12. Broadside to broadside they sailed right up,
And, oh, how the cannons did roar.
They took Elder Bordee and his whole company
To the land of old England's shore.
They took Elder Bordee and his whole company
To the land of old England's shore.
1. Older sings Henry as a 3-syllable word.