Below are the words i used to sing in the seventies. As i note i believe this qas written by John Matthews from Norwich

Song Without Words
By John Matthews from Norwich

I'll sing you a song before very long
If I can remember the words
If I can remember the woooooooords
If I can remember the words

It was something about a bold sail-i-or
Newly returned to the shore
From sailing the East Ind-i-es
But I can't remember no more

OH! YES I CAN!

There was also a fair pretty maid-i-en
Her name it was Nancy, for sure
She'd waited long years for her sail-i-or
Then she couldn't wait any more

There were blackbirds and blacksmiths and thrushes
Singing on every green spray
Someone wore a black shawl, or was it nothing at all?
And somehow I'm sure it was May

Now Nancy had missed her dear sail-i-or
For waiting at home was no fun
And I think that somebody was pregnant
But I can't remember which one

Now the sailor was most understanding
And Nancy she cried quite a lot
But he didn't tell her all his secrets
The best bits we both have forgot

He told her of cruel privations
While rounding the horn in a gale
But never a word of relations
With cabin boys, male and female

Then putting his hand in his pocket
A handful of broken tokens he shows
And he said to his own dearest jewel
Do you recognise any of those?

But somehow I'm sure that the sail-i-or
Had silver and gold in great store
And wedding bells chimed to wild mountain time
They don't write 'em like that any more!