Sweet William- Fred Jordan (Shrop) c. 1990 REC
[From the Veteran recording VTD148CD: A Shropshire Lad; ‘English Folk Singer’ Fred Jordan, c. 1990.
Their notes follow.
R. Matteson 2017]
Fred Jordan was first recorded in 1952 singing songs he had learnt from his family, from workmates and visiting Gypsies in his native Shropshire. With the emerging folk revival of the 1960s he began singing at folk clubs all over the country and over the next forty years he appeared at most major folk festivals. After a lifetime of singing he is viewed by many as the iconic English folk singer.
Sweet William
Oh, father, father come build me a boat
That o’er this ocean wide I may float.
And every ship that I chance to meet
I will enquire for my William sweet.
We had not sailed more than half an hour
Before we met with a man-o-war.
“O, captain, captain, come tell me true
Is my boy, William, on board with you?”
“What colour suit did your William wear,
What was the colour of your true love’s hair?”
“Oh, he had a suit of the royal blue
And you’d know him, for his heart is true.”
“Then your boy, William, I’m sad to say,
That he was drownded the other day
On yonder island that we passed by
T’was there that we laid to rest your sailor boy.”
She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
She was a young lady in deep despair.
“O, father, father, how can I go on
How can I live now my William’s gone?
“I’ll sit me down and I’ll write me a song,
I’ll write it neat and I’ll write it long,
And in every word I’ll shed a tear
And in every line I’ll set my William, dear.
“I wish, I wish, but it’s all in vain
I wish I was a young maid again
But a maid again, I shall never be
Till apples grow on an orange tree.
A maid, a maid, I shall never be
Till apples grow on an orange tree.”