Bluegrass Messengers

Sailor's Life- Elsie Morrison (Moray) 1956 REC

[From School of Scottish Studies;Track ID: 20025 - Original Tape ID: SA1956.040, Recorded by Henderson.
http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/play/20025;jsessionid=CF74C3EB7C32CFA12948978938BB4971

R. Matteson 2017]

Sailor's Life- sung by Elsie Morrison (1885- 1964) of Nether Dallachy, Moray in April of 1956. Recorded by Hamish Henderson.

A sailor's life is a weary life,
He has robb-ed me of my heart's delight,
He has robb-ed me of my chiefest joy,
And I go mourning for my sailor boy.

Oh father, father find me a boat,
Out on the ocean I may float.
To view the French ships as they go by,
Make full inquiries for my sailor boy.

She hadn't sail-ed far out o'er the deep,
When a  man-o'-war she chance to meet,
Oh sailors, sailors come tell to me,
If my darling Billie sails here with you?

Out spoke the captain as he walks by[1]
Out spoke the captain "Oh Billie's died
It was late last night as the wind blew high,
We lost your Billie, young sailor boy."

Sailors, sailors go mourn for [ ]
Put a bunch of [ ] all doon your [ ]
Put another bunch on your top mast high,
And go a-mourning for my sailor boy.

She called for paper and ink and pen,
Was for her to write her true love's name
And ev'ry line she dropped a tear
And at ev'ry word she called, "Billie dear."
 

1. hard to understand