AMSTERDAM
(Capstan Shanty)

In Amsterdam there lived a maid-
Mark well what I do say!
In Amsterdam there lived a maid,
And she was mistress of her trade-
And I'll go no more a-roving
    With you, fair maid!
A-roving-a-roving- since roving's been my ru-u-in,
I'll go no more a-roving
    With you, fair maid.

Her cheeks were red, her eyes were brown-
Mark well what I do say!
Her cheeks were red, her eyes were brown,
Her hair in ringlets hanging down,
I'll go no more a-roving,
    With you, fair maid.

I put my arm around her waist-
Mark well what I do say!
I put my arm around her waist,
Says she, "Young man, you're in great haste"-
I'll go no more a-roving,
    With you, fair maid.

I took that girl upon my knee-
Mark well what I do say!
I took that girl upon my knee,
She said, "Young man you're rather free"-
I'll go no more a-roving,
    With you, fair maid.

But when I'd blowed my twelve months' pay-
Mark well what I do say!
But when I'd blowed my twelve months' pay
That girl she vanished clean away-
   And I'll go no more a-roving
    With you fair maid!
A-roving, a-roving, since roving's been my ru-u-in,
A-roving-a-roving- since roving's been my ru-u-in,
I'll go no more a-roving
    With you, fair maid!

Notes by CFS:

It has a fine swinging tune and a rousing chorus: and the words have an obvious appeal to the sailorman alike of Elizabeth's and Victoria's day.

CFS connects the shanty to lines in the Elizabethan drama, "The Rape of Lucrece," by Thomas Heywood. Bruce Olson questioned this, and pointed to "Watton Town's End," c. 1610, which with tune is found in Bruce Olson's website (find through Quick Links, top of page); also see comments in thread 5070: Maid


X:1
T:Amsterdam
C:C. Fox Smith 'A Book of Shanties" p 60
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
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w:In Am-ster-dam there lived a maid, Mark well what I do say! In
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w:Am-ster-dam there lived a maid, And she was mis-tress of her trade And I'll
D3E F3G|(A2d2)B2G2|F4E4|D4-D2zA|B4G2B2|A4F2A2|
w:go no more a rov_-ing with you fair maid._ a rov-ing a rov-ing since
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w:rov-ing's been my ru-u-inI'll go no more a rov_-ing with you fair maid_

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