Sailor Bold- Tom Willett (Sur) 1960 REC
[My title. From the Topic album, The Willett family “Adieu to Old England," 1963. Their notes follow.
R. Matteson 2017]
Tom Willett was 82 (born 1878) but he carried his years lightly, and was still a great singer. He spent much of his early life in and around Copthorne, on the Surrey- Sussex border. His main trade was as a horse dealer. His wife came of the well known show family, the Smarts.
[Sailor Bold] Never Change the Old Love for New (The Willow Tree) (Roud 18831)
Sung by Tom and Chris Willett, Recorded by Ken Stubbs, c.1960.
My love is but a sailor bold, sailor bold,
Who sails across the deep blue sea;
He wears my name all on his arm, on his arm
Which brings his memory back to me.
Chorus: So bring me back that one I love
And bring and give him back to me
If I only had that one I love
How happy, happy should I be.
I wish my heart was made of glass
So he might stand and view me through
And read the secrets of my heart
For if you love one you can’t love two.
Chorus
Oh think of me and bear in mind, in mind
That I’m the girl that you passed by
And when you find one fond and true, fond and true
Never change that old love for the new.
Chorus
My love is like a little bird
That flies across from tree to tree
And when he gets so far away, far away,
I know he thinks no more of me.
Now think of me and bear in mind, in mind
A constant heart is hard to find.
And when you find one fond and true, fond and true
Never change that old love for the new.
I wish to God my baby was born
Sat smiling on his dadda’s knee
But maid again I never shall be
‘Til the apples grows on an orange tree.
I wish to God my baby was born
Sat smiling on his dadda’s knee .........
Having tried to include all the possible verses of this song, plus a couple of floaters not usually associated with it, the recording deteriorates into false starts and discussions from all the participants - so I’ve just faded it out. A couple of points worth noticing are the wonderful way Tom treats the tune of the third line of the chorus at the beginning of the song, and
the fact that they both suddenly change tune on the penultimate verse, segueing perfectly into the one they use for
There is an Alehouse a.k.a. Died for Love.
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Roud has 15 versions of this lovely song, five of which are from North America. The others are from May Bradley and Bill Smith, of Shropshire, plus Sam Richards collected it from Bill ‘Pop’ Hingston, of Dittisham, Devon, as did Gavin Greig from a Miss Ross, in Scotland, and Lucy Broadwood from both Mr and Mrs Petulengro in Westmorland.