Part V

Which of our versions from the Northeast come closest to matching the "Andrews/De Marsan" broadside? I have already mentioned the Devlin version, which is the only one to contain the phrase "on the banks of the old Tennessee."   It is a fragment, with only four verses, and one could say that all four verses match up with the broadside. The "Salt Sea" has become "the deep blue sea." I would appreciate clarification on the geographical context for the Devlin version. I have not been able to resolve that issue.

Aside from Jennie Devlin's song, I think that there are only two other versions that come very close to the broadside. One is the Sarah Willard manuscript from Moriah Center NY, written in 1869. The other is the version published by Flanders from Oscar Degreenia of West Cornwall CT.

I am going to go through the Willard and Degreenia versions and compare them verse by verse with the Andrews/De Marsan broadside. The broadside comes first, and then Willard as our oldest written manuscript, and then Degreenia. I have put some of the word differences in CAPITALS.

"Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met," cried he
"For I've just returned from the Salt Sea,
All for the love of thee."

Well met, well met my own true love
Well met, well met, said he
I have just returned from the salt, salt sea
All for the love of thee

"I have came across the sea, salt sea;
It was all for the sake of thee.
---

"I might have married the King's daughter, dear,"
"You might have married her," cried she,
"For I am married to a House Carpenter,
And a fine young man is he."

Willard omits this verse.

"I might have married a king's daughter FAIR
And she would married me."
"For I have married a house carpenter
And I think he's a very nice man."
---

"If you will forsake your House Carpenter,
And go along with me,
I will take you where the grass grows high,
On the banks of old Tennessee."

If you will forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me
I will take you where the grass grows GREEN
On the Banks of the SWEET WILLIE?

"If you will LEAVE your house carpenter
And COME along with me,
I'll take you there where the grass grows GREEN
On the banks of the SWEET DUNDEE."
---

"If I forsake my House Carpenter,
And go along with thee,
What have you got to keep me upon,
And keep me from misery."

If I'll forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee
Have you anything to MAINTAIN me upon
And to keep me from SLAVERY.

"If I should leave my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you there to SUPPORT me on
Or keep me from misery?"
---

Says he, "I've got six ships at sea,
All sailing to dry land,
One hundred and ten of your own countrymen,
Love, they shall be at your command."

One hundred ships I have at sea
A-making for dry land
With two hundred and ten bold jolly seamen
All shall be at your command

"I have three ships ALL LOADED WITH GOLD
And sailing for dry land,
And a hundred and twenty sailor boys
Will be at your demand."
---

She took her babe upon her knee,
And kissed it one, two, or three,
Saying, "Stay at home, my darling sweet babe,
And keep your father's company."

She called her babe up on her knee
And she kissed it two and three
Said stay at home my sweet little babe
And keep your dad company

She picked her baby up INTO HER ARMS
And give him kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home with your pap
For he IS GOOD company."
---

Willard inserts the following verse at this point:

She dressed herself in rich way
In riches to behold
And every street that she passed through
She showed her glittering gold
---

They had not sailed four weeks or more,
Four weeks or scarcely three,
When she thought of her darling sweet babe at home,
And she wept most bitterly.

She had not been at sea two weeks
I am sure it was not three
BEFORE THIS MAID BEGAN TO WEEP
And she wept most bitterly

They had not sailed a week an' a half,
I'm sure it was not three,
BEFORE THIS MAID FOUND FOR TO WEEP,
And she wept most bitterly.
---

Says he, "Are you weeping for gold, my love,
Or are you weeping for fear,
Or are you weeping for your House Carpenter,
That you left and followed me."

Is it for my gold that you weep
Or is it for MY STORE
Or is it for the house carpenter
That you NEVER CAN SEE ANY MORE

"Is it for gold that you do weep,
Or is it for MY STORE?"

[Degreenia conflates this verse with the next one.]

"It's for my darling little babe
THAT I NEVER WILL SEE ANY MORE"
---

"I am not weeping for gold," she replied,
"Nor am I weeping for fear,
But I am weeping alone for my sweet little babe,
That I left with my House Carpenter."

Tis not for your gold that I weep
It is not for your STORE
But its ALL FOR THE LOVE of my sweet little babe
THAT I NEVER CAN SEE ANY MORE.
---

At this point, the broadside inserts the following verse, missing from all other versions:

"Oh, dry up your tears, my own true love,
And cease your weeping," cried he,
"For soon you'll see your own happy home,
On the banks of old Tennessee."
---

They had not sailed five weeks or more,
Five weeks or scarcely four,
When the ship struck a rock and sprung a leak,
And they were never seen any more.

She had not been on the sea three weeks
I am sure it was not four
Before that ship she sprung a leak
And she sank to rise no more

They had not sailed three weeks and a half,
I'm sure it was not four,
When A HOLE BROKE OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SHIP
And their bones was heard no more.

[Notice the differences in the last line.]
---

A curse be on the sea-faring men,
Oh, cursed be their lives,
For while they are robbing the House Carpenter,
And coaxing away their wives.

Bad luck Bad luck to sea fare MAID
And cursed be all your lives
For robbing of the House Carpenter
And STEALING away his wife

The Degreenia version does not have the curse.
---

There is certainly enough agreement between both the Willard and Degreenia versions with the broadside to suggest that they were at least influenced by the broadside tradition, if not derived from it. However, there is always the question as to whether or not all three of these versions (including the broadside) may have come from an earlier source. It is also interesting to note the agreements between Willard and Degreenia that disagree with the broadside, suggesting other common sources. And finally it is important to notice what is unique to the broadside, and what is unique to Willard and to Degreenia, again suggesting multiple sources. Certainly Willard shares with other earlier sources the verse about dressing up in riches and the use of "slavery." Degreenia shares with other versions the use of "Dundee" and "I have three ships all loaded with gold." He also omits the opening two lines about "Well met..." and the ending "curse verse."