I AM A LITTLE SAILOR

(boy) Oh I am a little sailor and I've come from afar,
And I've come to a-ask you to marry me.
Will you marry?
Marry, marry, marry,
Will you marry me?

(girl) So you are a little sailor and you've come from afar,
And you've come to a-ask me to marry you.
Well, I won't marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
I won't marry you!

(boy) I offer you a rocking chair
To sit in the garden and breath fresh air;
If you'll marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
If youll marry me?

(girl) I won’t accept your rocking chair
To sit in the garden and breath fresh air;
I won'’t marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
I won't marry you!

(boy) I offer you a dress of white
To wear tomorrow at our wedding night;
If you'll marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
If youll marry me?

(girl) I won't accept your dress of white
There won't be any we-edding tomorrow night
'Cause I won't marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you!

(boy) I offer you the key to my heart,
And all of the money that I have got;
If you'll marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
If you'll marry me?

(girl) I will accept the key to my heart,
And all of the money that you have got;
I will marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
I will marry you.

(boy-spoken) Ha ha ha, So you think you're funny,
You don't want me. You want my money!
(sung) Well I won't marry,
Marry, marry, marry,
I won't marry you!

(and with that, the boy sticks out his tongue at the girl)

I find the conflation of the last set of verses to be quite interesting.
When I sang it in my early years, I separated the sentiments by changing it to

"I offer you the key to my heart
And from your side I will never part."

followed by

"I offer you the key to my chest
And all the money at your request" (MG)

Taught to Mark Gilston by Wendy Diana Jones, NYC 1959
DT #855
filename[ PAPERPI3
Feb07
mudcat.org

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