Sailor's Trade- Mary Van Wormser (MO) 1909 Belden C
[From Belden's "Songs and Ballads," p. 188. Belden's notes follow.
R. Matteson 2017]
The Sailor Boy
This song is a general favorite on both side of the water. The core of it is that the girl asks her father to build her a boat that she may go in search of her sailor lover; that, meeting ships, she inquires for him and is told that he was drowned (or simply 'lost') at an island (commonly 'Rocky Island'); and that she then runs her boat upon a rock or throws herself overboard. Very often the conclusion is borrowed. from The Butcher Boy: she calls for pen, ink, and paper and writes a letter directing that her grave be dug long and deep and a turtle dove be placed on her breast to show that she died for love. The Lincolnshire text shows a pretty complete contamination of the two: she hangs herself, and her father comes home, cuts her down, and finds the letter. Stall texts were printed by Catnach and Such, and one by Pitts is allied to it in story tho not in language. It is recorded from tradition in Scotland (Christie I 249), Ireland. (JFSS VIII 213), Lincolnshire (JFSS II 293-4), Sussex (JFSS 199), Worcestershire (ECS 71-5, Dorset (JFSS VIII 212), Somerset (NSS IV 2-3); in Newfoundland. (FSM9-62), Nova Scotia (SBNS 89-91), Quebec (JAFL xxxl 1?0-1), Ottawa (JAFL XXXI 162); in Virginia (SharpK II 87-8, scsM 319-20), West Virginia (FSS 353-?), Kentucky (SharpK II 87), Tennessee (JAFL XXX 363-4, XIV 79-80, FSSH 188-9, SharpK II 86-7), North Carolina (JAFL XIIV 80-1, SSSA 177-8, FSSH 189-90, SharpK II 84-6, 88-9), Georgia (JAFL XXIX 199), Ohio (JAFL XXXV 410-1), and Wisconsin
(BSSB 85-6, adapted to the life of raftsmen). 'Careless Love,'reported by Henry from North Carolina (BMFSB 24-5), and "A Soldier's Life," reported by Cox from West Virginia (FSWV 29-30), use parts of it. I have not found it reported from the North Atlantic states.
C. 'The Sailor's Trade.' Secured by Miss Hamilton in 1909 from Mary Van Wormser of the West Plains High School, who wrote it down 'as sung to her by her grandfather.'
The sailor's trade is a dreary life,
It causes poor girls to lose their heart's delight;
It causes them for to weep and mourn
The loss of their true love, never to return.
'Brown was the color of my true love's hair,
His cheeks resembled a lily's fair.
If ever he returns it will give me joy,
For none can l wed but my sweet sailor boy.
'Father, father, go build me a boat,
That I may on the river float;
I'll hail each captain as I pass by,
And there I'll inquire for my sweet Willie boy.
'Captain, Captain, tell me true,
Does my dear Willie sail with you?
Tell me quick, for 'twill give me joy;
For none can I wed bu.t my sweet sailor boy.'
'No, kind madam, he is not here,
He's drowned in the gulf and we left him there .
All on the rocky island as we passed by,
There we let your true lover lie.'
She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Just like some lady in despair:
'Al1 on the rocky island, as they passed by,
There they let my true lover lie.
'Hand me a chair till I sit down,
A pen and ink for to write it down.'
At the end of every line she shed a tear,
At the end of every verse cried, Willie, my dear.'
'Go dig my grave both wide and deep,
A marble stone at my head and feet;
And on my breast a sweet turtle-dove,
To let the world know I died for my love.'