OK Stan,tryingsomething a bit different http://www.joe-offer.com/folkinfo/songs/578.html

The first thing I notice is I don’t understand the \relative bit (at least not yet) and wonder if that is the best way. I have to raise the first note in the second line by an octave or things start to go low from that point...

Do I really have to put the flats in each time or am I missing something? Notes are coming out as naturals if I don’t.

It’s not immediately apparent to me how to display the time as 4/4 or how to change the beaming to match what I’m trying to copy.

\version "2.18.2"
\header {
      encodingdate = "2018-06-19"
      title = "Marianina"
      subtitle = " "}
      
      voicedefault = \relative ees' {
       \key ees \major \time 4/4
      
             bes4. g8 c c bes bes | aes4. f8 d4 r |\break
             c'4. aes8 d d c c | bes4. g8 ees4 r   |\break
      
      }
      \addlyrics {
      O'er the o -- cean flies a mer -- ry fay,
      As she pass -- es all the blue waves say
}
\score{
    <<

        \context Staff="default"
        {
            \voicedefault
        }

    >>
        \layout {
        }
        \midi {}
}