The Maid On The Shore- Taylor (Canada) c.1990s
This variant was collected by Barry Taylor and published on-line in his Great Canadian Tunebook. Barry Taylor of Victoria BC left County Tyrone, Ireland, to emigrate to Canada. There is no information about the source of the text or date (my guesstimate of the date was supplied).
The Maid On The Shore (Collected by Barry Taylor)
There was once a young captain who followed the sea,
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
"Oh, I shall die, I shall die," the young captain did cry,
"If I don't get that maid on the shore;
Oh, if I don't get that maid on the shore!"
The young captain had jewels and a purse full of gold,
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
And all his gold he would gladly give to this fair maid,
If she'd take a sail out to sea;
Oh, if she'd take a sail out to sea.
So, by subtle persuasions he led her aboard,
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
Then haunting tunes she did sing, and she sang them so long,
That she soothed the bold sailors to sleep;
Oh, yes! She soothed the bold sailors to sleep.
All his jewels she took and his purse full of gold,
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
Bravely she took his broadsword to make herself an oar,
And she paddled away from the ship;
Oh, yes! She paddled away from the ship.
"Oh, were my men so mad, Oh, were my men so drunk?"
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
Why did they let her go free with her beauty so fair?
On the beach now she sits all alone;
Oh, on the beach now she sits all alone.
"Your men were not so mad, your men were not so drunk."
Let the winds blow high or blow low!
When you were all fast asleep, I left you on the deck,
I'm a maiden again on the shore;
Oh, I'm a maiden again on the shore."