From the notes to the Penguin Book (1959):
"During the 19th. century the ballad press issued a large number of broadsides setting out the sailor's disgust with the treatment received at the hands of grasping landladies and their faithless daughters. That many of these songs rewsemble each other seems to be the result of influence rather than accident. Green Beds, "a song popular both in the foc'sle and in the cottage", tells the tale in fullest detail and must be regarded as the most important ballad on this theme. A fairly close relative is the well-known song, The Wild Rover. The Green Bed has also been collected in Warwickshire (FSJ vol.I, p.48), Somerset (FSJ vol.V, p.68) and Devon (Songs of the West, Sabine Baring Gould and others, 1905, pp.186-7, with words re-written)." -R.V.W./A.L.L.
This version was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams from Benjamin Arnold of Easton, nr. Winchester, in 1909, and was first published in the Folk Song Journal, vol.III, p.282.
There is another version on the DT:
Jackson with tune.
There is an entry at The Traditional Ballad Index:
Johnny the Sailor (Green Beds)
@sailor @courting @drink
DT #323
Laws K36
Other titles:
Captain John
Green Beds
Jackson
Johnny the Sailor
The Sailor in the Alehouse
There are a number of broadside texts at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads. Where duplicate copies exist, I have linked to the most easily legible.
Jack Tar, or The Green Bed Empty Printer and date unknown.
Jack Tar, or The Green Bed Empty Printed between 1840 and 1866 by John Harkness, Church Street, Preston.
The Liverpool Landlady Printed (between 1819 and 1844?) by J. Pitts of Great St. Andrew St., Seven Dials, London.
The Liverpool Landlady Printed between 1845 and 1859 by A. Ryle and Co., 2 & 3 Monmouth court, Seven Dials, London.
The Liverpool Landlady Printed between 1828 and 1829 by T. Birt, 10, Great St. Andrew-Street, Seven Dials, London
WILD ROVER:
Wild Rover Printed by J. Jennings, No. 15, Water Lane, Fleet Street, London. (NO IMAGE AVAILABLE)
Wild Rover Printed between 1846 and 1854 by E. Hodges' (from Pitts's,) 31, Dudley St., Seven Dials, London.
Wild Rover Printer and date unknown.
Wild Rover Printed between 1813 and 1838 by J. Catnach, 2, Monmouth Court, Seven Dials, London.
Wild Rover Printer and date unknown.
Wild Rover Printed between 1817 and 1828 by T. Batchelar, 115, Long Alley, Moorfields, London.
There is an entry at The Traditional Ballad Index:
Wild Rover No More
On the DT:
Clancy Brothers version, with tune.
Obviously, there are a lot of threads in the Forum that deal with Wild Rover, but they relate mostly to parodies and the ubiquitous Irish clapping version. However, there is a nice, melancholy version here:
Wild Rover No More, with tune here.
Please DON'T post any Wild Rover material to this thread! I think we have as much as we need on that particular song, unless maybe Bruce has something to add.
Malcolm