Hi,

Peacock titled the song, "Love is Lovely" which he collected in 1958 from Isaac Freeman Bennett [1896-1981] of St Paul's, Newfoundland:

"Love is Lovely"

I laid my head on a keg of brandy,
It was my fancy I do declare;
But while I'm drinking I'm ofttimes thinking
'Bout who should gain this young lady fair.

    Oh love is lovely, oh love is charming,
    Oh love is lovely when it is new,
    But when love grows old, sure it then grows colder,
    And it fades away like the morning dew.

2. Oh ofttimes drunk and cast down lonely,
I rove around oh from town to town,
And when my frolicking days are over,
This fair young damsel will lay me down.

3. I wish to God I was never born,
Or in my cradle I would have died;
For such a youth to be ever born,
To a-love a maid and be denied.

4. The ocean is wide and I can't wade over,
Neither have I got wings to fly,
But if I had some old skipper boat-man,
I would ferry me over my love and I.

5. Oh, ofttimes drunk and seldom sober,
A rolling stone looks so black as ink;
I will place my coat for the want of money,
And I'll sing no more till I get a drink!

Notice that stanza 4 is the identifying stanza for "Water is Wide" also found in the "I'm Often Drunk" broadside and that stanza 3 is a reworked stanza from Died for Love. Stanza 1 is a chorus in the Newfoundland and recent Irish "Keg of Brandy," both are variants of "I'm Always Drunk." "Love is Lovely" is listed as Roud 1049 although it's clearly a separate variant with text from "I'm Often Drunk."

Richie