Storms Are on the Ocean is the Carters beautiful rendition of a variant of the large True Lover's Farewell folk song family originating in British Isles. The songs are often called: "Fare You Well, My Own True Love" and the "Ten Thousand Miles" songs. The first collected version in the US is 1906 (Belden). Other sets of lyrics were collected in 1916 and 1917 by Cecil Sharp; he titled the songs "True Lover's Farewell."

The Carters first verse, the "if I go ten thousand miles" is found in Sharp No. 114 A.

The second and third verses also in Sharp 114 A are from English "The Lass of Roch Royal" or "Lord Gregory" (Child #76):

Oh, who will dress your pretty little feet
Oh, who will glove your hand
Who will kiss your rosy red cheeks
When I'm in the far off land

In fact the whole song except for the chorus is found in Sharp 114 A. Only the chorus is distinct.Here are some recordings:

The Carter Family, "The Storms Are On the Ocean" (Victor 20937, 1927); (Okeh 03160, 1936)
A. P. Carter Family, "Storms are on the Ocean" (Acme 993, c. 1949)
Delmore Brothers, "The Storms Are On the Ocean" (Bluebird B-8613, 1941)
Aunt Molly Jackson, "Ten Thousand Miles" (AFS, 1939; on LC02)
Bascom Lamar Lunsford, "Little Turtle Dove" (Brunswick 229, 1928; on BLLunsford01; a composite of all sorts of floating verses, a few of which may be from this song)
Lewis McDaniel & Gid Smith, "It's Hard to Leave You, Sweet Love" (Victor 40287, c. 1929)
Neil Morris, "The Lass of Loch Royale" (on LomaxCD1701)
New Lost City Ramblers, "It's Hard to Leave You, Sweet Love" (on NLCR16)
Jean Ritchie & Doc Watson, "Storms Are On the Ocean" (on RitchieWatson1, RitchiteWatsonCD1)
[Leonard] Rutherford & [John] Foster, "Storms May Rule the Ocean" (Gennett, rec. 1929; on KMM)
Ruby Vass "10,000 Miles" (on Persis1)

THE STORMS ARE ON THE OCEAN- Carter Family 1927 and 1935

I'm going away to leave you, love
I'm going away for a while
But I'll return to you some time
If I go 10,000 miles

    The storms are on the ocean
    The heavens may cease to be
    This world may lose its motion, love
    If I prove false to thee

Oh, who will dress your pretty little feet
Oh, who will glove your hand
Who will kiss your rosy red cheeks
When I'm in the far off land

    The storms are on the ocean
    The heavens may cease to be
    This world may lose its motion, love
    If I prove false to thee
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

Oh, papa will dress my pretty little feet
And mama will glove my hand
You can kiss my rosy red cheeks
When you return again

    The storms are on the ocean
    The heavens may cease to be
    This world may lose its motion, love
    If I prove false to thee
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

Oh, have you seen those lonesome doves
Flying from pine to pine
A-mourning for their own true loves
Just like I mourn for mine

    The storms are on the ocean
    The heavens may cease to be
    This world may lose its motion, love
    If I prove false to thee
    [INSTRUMENTAL BREAK]

I'll never go back on the ocean, love
I'll never go back on the sea
I'll never go back on the blue-eyed girl
Till she goes back on me
    [CHORUS]