We have two versions of this song in the Digital Tradition, and other versions scattered all around. I thought it might be an idea to consolidate them into this one thread that has most of the versions we have posted.

Here's our first version from the Digital Tradition:

A-ROVIN' (1)

In Amsterdam there lived a Maid
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade
I'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid
A-rovin', a-rovin', since rovin's been my ru-i-in
I'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid

One night I crept from my abode
Mark etc.
One night I crept from my abode
To meet this fair maid down the road
I'll go etc.

I met this fair maid after dark
And took her to her favorite park.

I took this fair maid for a walk
And we had such a loving talk.

I put me arm around her waist
Sez she, "Young man, you're in great haste!"

I put my hand upon her knee
Sez she, "Young man you're rather free!"

I put my hand upon her thigh
Sez she, "Young man you're rather high!"

*

She sore that she'd be true to me
But spent me pay-day fast and free

In three weeks time I was badly bent
Then off to sea I sadly went.

In a bloodboat Yank bound round Cape Horn
Me boots and clothes were all in pawn

Bound up Cape Stiff through ice and snow
And up the coast to Cally-o

An' then back to the Liverpool Docks
Saltpeter stowed in our boots an' socks

Now when I got home from sea
A soger had her on his knee.

* I've omitted 7 of Hugill's rather clumsy attempts to
sanitize the song. If you can't figure out how an
"anatomical progression" works, you're
beyond help. RG
From Shanties from the Seven Seas, Hugill
@bawdy @sailor @work
filename[ AROVIN1
TUNE FILE: AROVIN.1
CLICK TO PLAY
TUNE FILE: AROVIN.2
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

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A-ROVIN'
(alternate titles: Amsterdam or The Maid of Amsterdam)

In Amsterdam there lived a maid
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade
We'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid

CHORUS
A-rovin', a-rovin', since rovin's bin me ru-i-in
We'll go no more a-rovin' with you fair maid

2. One night I crept from my abode.
Ch. Mark well what I do say!
One night I crept from my abode
To meet this fair maid down the road.
Ch. We'll go no more a-rovin' with you, fair maid.
Full Chorus
A-rov.in', a-rovin', Since rovin's bin me ru-i-in,
We'll go no more a-rovin', With you, fair maid.

3. I met this fair maid after dark,
An' took her to her favourite park.

4. I took this fair maid for a walk,
An' we had such a lovin' talk.

5. I put me arm around her waist,
Sez she, 'Young man, yer in great haste!'

6. I put me hand upon her knee,
Sez she, 'Young man, yer rather free!'

7. I put me hand upon her thigh,
Sez she, 'Young man, yer rather high!'

8. I towed her to the Maiden's Breast,
From south the wind veered wes'sou'west [sou'sou'westj.

9. An' the eyes in her head turned east an' west,
And her thoughts wuz as deep as an ol' sea-chest.

10. We had a drink—of grub a snatch,
We sent two bottles down the hatch.

11. Her dainty arms wuz white as milk,
Her lovely hair wus soft as silk.

12. Her heart wuz poundin' like a drum,
Her lips wuz red as any plum.

13. We laid down on a grassy patch,
An' I felt such a ruddy ass.

14. She pushed me over on me back,
She laughed so hard her lips did crack.

15. She swore that she'd be true to me,
But spent me pay-day fast and free.

16. In three weeks' time I wuz badly bent,
Then off to sea I sadly went.

17. In a bloodboat Yank bound round Cape Horn,
Me boots an' clothes wuz all in pawn.

18. Bound round Cape Stiff through ice an' snow,
An' up the coast to Callyo.

19. An' then back to the Liverpool Docks,
Saltpetre stowed in our boots an' socks.

20. Now when I got back home from sea,
A soger had her on his knee.

The last three or four stanzas are fairly modern. Saltpetre, guano, and all kinds of nitrates were shipped from the west coast of South America to British and continental ports mainly in the latter days of sail.

---

Source: Shanties from the Seven Seas, collected by Stan Hugill (1961), pp. 48-49

In the Digital Tradition, Dick Greenhaus says, "I've omitted 7 of Hugill's rather clumsy attempts to sanitize the song. If you can't figure out how an "anatomical progression" works, you're beyond help. RG"

Well, maybe because I spent 8 years in a Catholic seminary, I guess I'm beyond help. I never can figure these things. out. So, what were the actual words that Hugill sanitized from? I put the verses Dick omitted in italics. Please, somebody put me out of my innocent misery and tell me what the words really were...

-Joe-

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Up above, Jerry filled in most of the blanks for us. Here's Jerry's post. Can anybody add more?

Thread #5070   Message #999107
Posted By: GUEST,Jerry
08-Aug-03 - 04:45 PM
Thread Name: Origins:Maid from Amsterdam/Amsterdam Maid/A-Rovin
Subject: Lyr Add: MAID OF AMSTERDAM

OK, twist my arm.

Stan sang these verses during the infamous Uncensored Sea Songs workshop at the Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival in '88 or '89. I had the luck to share the stage with him, along with a couple of other unwitting folks who, like me, thought that "uncensored" meant ribald, double-entendre material.

Stan talked a bit to introduce things, but then Tom Lewis, who was in the audience, asked to share a song from his Royal Navy days. He stepped forward and proceeded to sing two of the most graphic and obscene songs I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. That set the tone, and must have induced Stan to open up his treasure box of "the real versions" of chanteys.

Here's his take on MAID OF AMSTERDAM:

In Amsterdam there lived a maid
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade.
I'll go no more a rovin'...

I took this fair maid to the park
Mark well...
And we set down where it was dark.

I put my hand upon her breast...
And the wind from her ass blew south southwest.

The flesh of her breast was as white as milk...
And the hair of her cunt was soft as silk.

The cheeks of her ass were tight as a drum...
And the lips of her cunt were red as a plum.

Her belly it was soft and wide...
And it gave me such a lovely ride.


I have always hoped his wife or sons would publish the collection of unbowdlerized chanteys he hinted he had in his files. No sign of it yet, unfortunately.

Jerry