WILLIE TAYLOR

Willie Taylor, a brisk young sailor
Full of love and youthful air
At length his mind he did discover
To a charming lady fair.

CH: Fol da deedle, lairo, lairo, lairo
Fol da deedle, lairo, lairo, lee
Fol da deedle, lairo, lairo, lairo
Fol da deedle, lairo, lairo, lee.

Then to the church for to get married
Dressed they were in rich array
But instead of getting married
Pressed he was and sent to sea.

Now she has a mind to follow after
First to England and France and Spain
Should she live on bread and water
Until she returns again.

Now in shipboard she has entered
Under the name of Richard Kerr
With her lily white fingers small and slender
All now smeared by pitch and tar.

There was a scrimmage upon shipboard
She was there among the rest
Her silver buckles they flew open
And they spied she was a lady dressed.

"Lady, lady," says the captain
"What misfortune brought you here?"
"Indeed, kind sir, it was my lover
Pressed he was and sent to sea.

"If Willie Taylor be your lover
He is a boy I know right well
And he has got married to a rich lady
In the Isle of Man where they do dwell."

She rung her hands and tore her hair
And overboard herself would throw
Saying, my curse light upon you, Taylor
You are the cause of all my woe."

"Lady, lady," says the captain,
"Of your weeping now refrain
You shall be a captain's lady
And Willie Taylor your servant's name.

"If you rise early in the morning
And walk down the silvery sand
You shall see your Willie Taylor
Walking his lady on the strand."

She rose early in the morning
Early by the break of day
And there she spied her Willie Taylor
Walking with his lady gay.

Then she called for sword and pistol
Both of these at her command
She fired and shot false Willie Taylor
And left the new bride on the strand.

For you, Dick Greenhaus... from the Sam Henry collection. Sorry, I was double-parked next to an ambulance yesterday.

All the best,
Dan