I've written three as part of a song cycle. Here's the words to the pne that's so far been recorded. The story is true by the way. Perhaps I should say that 'gansey' is a woollen sweater with a pattern knitted into it that is peculiar to a particular location, and often a particular family.

DAVY CROSS
(Paul Davenport)

The Widow Cross had but one son
And indeed he was his mother's pride and joy
So she knitted him a gansey
Cable stitched both fine and fancy
And it looked like royal robes upon the boy

Chorus:
How we knew his bright blue eyes
How we knew his golden hair
And that gansey that his mother made
Was fine beyond compare

Tall and bright was Davy Cross
With a shining face that never bore a frown
And the lasses smiled and sighed
At his strong and manly stride
On a Friday when the fishing fleet left town

Chorus:   For they knew &c

At the dance on Saturday
The lasses fairly swooned to dance with him
As he held them in his arms
How they fluttered at his charms
And their hearts beat faster at his boyish grin

Chorus:    For they knew &c

Then one dark October day
There came a storm which drove us to the lee
And our fishing fleet was tossed
Yet but one single craft was lost
Leaving Widow Cross a-gazing out to sea

Chorus:    Well she knew &c

When just ten weeks were passed and gone
They finally brought us news about the loss
Seemed a body had been found
Of a sailor lost and drowned
And in our hearts we knew 'twas Davy Cross

Chorus:    For we knew &c

Reprise:        But it wasn't sky-blue eyes
Nor that hair as pale as foam
It was the gansey that his mother made
That brought young Davy home

P. Davenport © Nov 2009
Recorded on 'Spring Tide Rising' 2011 Paul & Liz Davenport
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