The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #133473   Message #3029952
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
11-Nov-10 - 09:14 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Jack Tar / Poor Jack / Saucy Sailor
Subject: Lyr. Add: Tarry Sailor
TARRY SAILOR
Sung by Jim Bennett, St. Paul's, Nfld, 1958

1
I am poor Jack just returned from shore,
Lucky is my po'tion;
While I have plenty of gold in store,
Long time I have plowed on the ocean.
2
To his sweetheart's house Jack straight did go
To see whether she would wed or no,
Saying, "Nancy, will you yes or no,
Will you wed with a tarry sailor?
3
Up spoke Nance with a frown,
"To think I'd wed a sailor, no, not I,
If I could get a man of a high renown
Would you think I'd wed a sailor?"
4
Kack shoved his hand into his purse
Pulling out handfuls of gold,
Saying, "Nancy, will you, yes or no,
Will you wed with a tarry sailor?"
5
Up spoke Nance all with a smile,
(The sight of the money did her heart beguile)
"So I see you were joking all the while
To be sure that I love my sailor."
6
"If you were joking I did jest,
So that's not the question that I asked,
So I see 'tis the money that you love best,
And you won't get your sailor."
7
Jack set out in a public line
Plenty of gold and silver coin,
Which made poor Nance to repent and to pine,
That ever she refused her sailor.

"Known also as Jack Tar, this English sailor's song has been traced back to the 1700's. For another song telling the same story, see A Paper of Pins".

I will look for an 18th C.(?) version. Neither Doerflinger nor Peocock mention a source.

Kenneth Peacock, 1965, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports,
vol. 1, pp. 316-317, with brief score.