Merry Golden Tree- Ritchie (KY) c.1930 REC 1961
[Jean Ritchie, born in 1922, is the youngest of 14 children. The music of her family version was collected in 1907 (maybe by Katherine Petite or Olive Campbell at the Pine Mountain School) from Jean's oldest sibling, May Ritchie, and published by Cecil Sharp in EFSSA 2 in 1932. No lyrics were included. The version was learned by May from her mother and is probably the version Jean learned as a child since she said in the liner notes that it was also "learned from my mother." So I'm dating this circa 1930 when Jean was 8 years old- the version surely dates back to pre1907. It's contains one unusual phrase not found in other version- "feverish water-gaps."
R. Matteson 2014]
The Merry Golden Tree- Jean Ritchie, Child Ballads in America, Volume 1, Folkways Records F-2301, 1961
There was a little ship and she sailed upon the sea
And she went by the name of The Merry Golden Tree
As she sailed upon the low and the lonesome low
As she sailed upon the lonesome sea
There was another ship and she sailed upon the sea
And she went by the name of The Turkish Robbery
As she sailed upon the low and the lonesome low
As she sailed upon the lonesome sea
There was a little cabin boy upon the Golden Tree
Said - Captain, oh Captain, what will you give to me
If I sink then in the low and the lonesome low
If I sink them in the lonesome sea?
Oh a half of my ship shall be made unto thee
And my youngest daughter shall be wed unto thee
If you sink them in the low and the lonesome low
If you sink them in the lonesome sea
He bowed upon his breast and away swum he
Till he come to the ship called The Turkish Robbery
Gonna sink you in the low and the lonesome low
Gonna sink you in the lonesome sea
Then out of his pocket an instrument he drew
And he bored nine holes for to let that water through
For to sink them in the low and the lonesome low
For to sink them in the lonesome sea
Oh some had hats and some had caps
And they tried for to stop these ferverish water gaps
But he sunk them in the low and the lonesome low
But he sunk them in the lonesome sea
He bowed upon his breast and back swum he
Till he come to the ship called The Merry Golden Tree
As she sailed upon the low and the lonesome low
As she sailed on the lonesome sea
Oh captain, oh captain, pray draw me up on board
Oh captain, oh captain, pray give me my reward
For I've sunk them in the low and the lonesome low
For I've sunk them in the lonesome sea
I'll never draw you up on board
No I've never known a cabin boy to gain such reward
Though you sunk them in the low and the lonesome low
Though you sunk them in the lonesome sea
If it weren't for the love of your daughter and your men
I would do unto you what I've done unto them
I would sink you in the low and the lonesome low
I would sink you in the lonesome sea
He bowed upon his breast and down sunk he
Farewell, farewell to The Merry Golden Tree
For I'm sinkin' in the low and the lonesome low
For I'm sinkin' in the lonesome sea.