Sweet William- Mrs. S. T. Topper (OH) 1939 Eddy D
[My title, none given. From ballads and Songs from Ohio by Mary Eddy, 1939. Most of these versions were collected in the 1920s or earlier. The A version, for example, was published in 1922,
R. Matteson 2017]
D. Sweet William. From Mrs. S. T. Topper, Ashland, Ohio.
1. "Go, build to me a little boat,
That on the ocean I may float,
And every ship that I pass by
I'll ask for my sweet sailor boy."
2. She had not sailed very far,
Until six ships she vainly spied;
"Oh, sailor, sailor, tell me true,
Is my sweet William on board with you?"
3. "Oh, no, kind miss, he is not here,
Your William is dead, I greatly fear;
On yon green isle as I passed by
I helped to bury a fine sailor boy."
4. She wrung her hands, and tore her hair,
Just like a woman in despair;
Her boat against the rocks did run,
"Why should I live, my true love is gone?"
5. All in her passion as she rowed,
She took a pen to write a line:
On every line she dropped a tear,
In every verse, "Farewell, my dear."
6. "Go, all ye seamen, dress alike,
And all ye sailors, dress in black,
With black sails on the masthead high,
And mourn with me while trouble is nigh.
7. "Dig my grave both long and deep,
A marble stone at head and feet;
Across my breast a turtle dove
To show the world I died for love."