002 - A-Rovin’ (A2)

The song I do recreate here is a version taken from "Shanties from the Seven Seas" by Stan Hugill, name of the version is: A-Rovin' (a), is printed on page 46 (US Edition published in 1994 by Mystic Seaport). But the beginning of this melody is from the first edition of the book from the beginning of page 50 (between versions b and c, ok I know it sounds complicated, haha but it's true).
W. B. Whall, Master Mariner in his "Ships, Sea Songs and Shanties(Glasgow, James Brown & Son, Publishers, 1910), mentioned is that: "The motive of this favorite sea song is very old indeed, and appears (in slightly varying forms) in many writings, e.g., in Thomas Heywood's Rape of Lucrece (first performed in London in 1630).

As far as I'm aware the record of this song singing by Stan Hugill didn't survive. The oldest record I found is A-Rovin' (Recorded 1947) by Leonard Warren.
… A-Rovin was originally sung at the pumps and old-fashioned windlass. In both labors - at the pump and at the windlass - two long leavers were worked up and down by the men: a back-breaking job. … Stan Hugill.
NOTE! - this tempo is a little too quick for work on pumps, the next version will be slightly slower much closer to actual work on "Downton - pump".

Below you can find the full text of this beautiful song.


A-Rovin' (A)

In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
An' she wuz mistress of her trade,
We'll go no more a-ro-o-vin' with you fair maid.

A-rovin', a-rovin',
Since rovin's bin my ru-i-in,
We'll go no more a-rovin',
With you fair maid.

One night I crept from my abode,
Mark well what I do say!
One night I crept from my abode,
To meet this fair maid down the road.
We'll go no more a-ro-o-vin' with you fair maid.

A-rovin', a-rovin',
Since rovin's bin my ru-i-in,
We'll go no more a-rovin',
With you fair maid.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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