THE AMERICAN STRANGER

I'm a stranger in this country from America I came.
There's no one that knows me nor can tell my name.
I'm a stranger in this country and shall tarry here awhile
And I'll ramble from my darling for many a long mile.

Oh, some say I'm rakish and some say I'm wild,
Some say that I'm rakish my friends to beguile.
But to prove myself loyal you shall come along with me
And I'll take you to America my darling to be.

The moon shall be in darkness and the stars shall give no light
If ever I prove false to my own heart's delight.
In the midst of the ocean there shall grow a myrtle tree
If ever I prove false to the girl that loves me.

We are bound for America and our ship will soon sail.
May heaven protect us with a prosperous gale
And when that we are landed we'll dance and we'll sing
In a plentiful country where no dangers can bring.

first verse repeated


The words come from a broadside. Broadsides were not dated therefore there's no way to know the age, however, I would guess the song is at least from the first 50 years of the 19th century. The record, as far as I know has not been reissued. The company's address is...
Genes Compact Disc Company, PO Box 7778, Silver Spring, MD 20907.

All the best,
Dan Milner