Hi,

This is the "colour of Amber stanza" from the 1800 "Sailing Trade" that is the 1st stanza and identifying stanza in "Black is the Colour" as well as Mary Ann Haynes ballad collected by Mike Yates in 1974:

The colour of amber is my true love's hair,
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare,
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms,
I've lain many a night in his lovely arms.

If you'll notice the last line is corrupt in later editions including Ashton's "Real Sailor Songs" of 1891:

The colour of amber is my true love's hair,
His red rosy cheeks doth my heart ensnare,
His ruby lips are soft, and with charms,
I'd fain lay a night in his lovely arms.

* * * *

Here's the stanza is "The Colour Of Amber" (variant of Early, Early in the Spring--Laws M1 Roud #152) collected in 1951 from Nicholas (Nick) Davis of St Shott's, NL, by MacEdward Leach.

Oh, the colour of amber is my love's hair,
And her rosy cheeks do my heart ensnare;
Her ruby lips so meek and mild,
Ofttimes have pressed them to those of mine.

Here's the stanza (2nd stanza- I've given three stanzas) in a West Virginia version of Sailor Boy about 1901:

Way down on Moment's River side
The wind blew fair with gentle guide;
A pretty maid that sat and mourned;
"What shall I do? My true love's gone.

"His rosy cheeks, his coal-black hair,
Has drawn my heart all in a snare;
His ruby lips so soft and fine,
Ten thousand times I've thrust in mine.

"And if ten thousand were in a row,
My love would make the brightest show,
The brightest show of every one;
I'll have my love or I'll have none.

You'll notice the first stanza is from "Constant Lady" 1686 and is later used in the 1820 Pitts broadside-- it's "crystal river side" in 1686.

And last, here's the stanza collected by Cecil Sharp from Lizzie Roberts in North Carolina in 1916:

But black is the color of my true love's hair,
Her face is like some rosy fair.
The prettiest face and the neatest hands,
I love the ground whereon he stands.

* * * *

The oldest US version I've found is an MS from a soldier's diary from the Civil War. His name is William H. Landbeth and he was in Shelby's force in Missouri about 1864:

Heart-Rending Boat Ballad

1. father father bild Me a Boat
and pot it on the oason that I may float
her father was welthy he bilt her a Boat
an pot it on the oason that She Mite float
She Stopte on the Boat She eride out Goy
Now ll find my sweet salar Boy.

2. She handent Bin Snilcn far on the Main
She Spide three Ships come in from Spain
She hailed each captain as ho drew ni
An of him She did in quire of her swee Salar Boy.

3. Capttain Captain tell mo trew
if my sweet william is in your crew
Il tell you far lady II tell you My Dear
your Sweet William is not hoar.

4. At the head of rockeyilent as we past By
Will was taken Sick an tharo did die
She stove her boat a gains a rock
I thaut in my Soal her heart was Break
She rong her band She toar her hair
Jest like a lady in dis pair.

5. go bring me a Cher for to set on
a pen and ink for to set it down
at the end or ever line she dropt a tire
at the end of ever virs it was o My dire.

6. go dig my grave booth Wide an deep
poot a marvel Stone at ray head an feet
an on my breast you may corv a dove
too let the world no that I dido for love.

* * * *

Now I don't feel so bad about my spelling and typing :)

Richie