Four recordings of A Sailor's Life, Martin Carthy's; A. L. Lloyd's; Ewan MacColl's and Cran's. Bye. Roberto

a) Sailor's Life, Martin Carthy, Second Album, Topic TSCD341 (1993), first released on Fontana STL 5362 (LP, 1966)

SAILOR'S LIFE

A sailor's life is a merry life
They robs young girls of their hearts' delight
Leaving them behind for to weep and mourn
They never know when they will return

Oh there's four-and-twenty all in a row
My sweetheart cuts the finest show
He's proper tall genteel withal
If I don't have him I'll have none at all

O father build me a bonny boat
That on the wide ocean I may float
And every queen's ship that we pass by
There I'll enquire for my sailor boy

Now they had not sailed long upon the deep
Before the queen's ship they chanced to meet:
You sailors all pray tell me true,
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?

Oh no fair maid he is not here
For he's been drowned, we greatly fear
On yon green island as we pass by
There we lost sight of your sailor boy

Now she wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Much like a damsel in great despair
Her little boat 'gainst a rock did run,
How can I live now my William is gone!

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b) A Sailor's Life, A. L. Lloyd, England & Her Traditional Songs, A selection from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, Fellside FECD173 (original Collector LP and EP, 1960)


SAILOR'S LIFE

A sailor's life is a merry life
They rob young girls of their hearts' delight
Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn
They never know when they will return

Here's four-and-twenty all in a row
My sweetheart cuts the brightest show
He's proper tall and gente withal
If I don't have him –She said- I'll have none at all

O father fetch me a little boat
That I might on the wide ocean float
And every queen's ship that we pass by
We'll make enquire for me sailor boy

We hadn't sailed long upon the deep
Before a queen's ship we chanced to meet:
You sailors all come tell me true
Does my sweet William sail among your crew?

Oh no fair lady he isn't here
For he has drowned, we greatly fear
On yon green island as we passed by
There we lost sight of your sailor boy

She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Much like a woman in great despair
Her little boat against a rock did run,
How can I live now my William is gone!

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c) My Sailor Boy (My Boy Willie), Ewan MacColl, Matching Songs of the British Isles and America, Riverside RLP 12-637


MY SAILOR BOY

One morning early in the year
I parted from my dearest dear
The night was dark and the wind blew high
And the tears did blind me as he passed by

O, father, father, build me a boat
It's on the wild sea that I must go
Where I can watch the big ships go by
And where I can search for my sailor boy

She sailed away on the rolling tide
She sailed away on the ocean wide
She sailed by night and she sailed by day
Till a man-of-war came by that way

She cried and called in the wind so high
She hailed that ship as it passed her by
O, captain, captain, pray tell me true
Is my boy Willie aboard with you?

What sort of boy is your Willie, dear?
What sort of rig does your Willie wear?
He wears a suit of the royal blue
And you'll ken him fine for he's leal and true

I know him well and the other day
I saw him lying as cold as clay
By yon green isle that we passed by
He was lying there in the terror's eye

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d) Early, Early, Cran, Music from the edge of the world, Black Horse Records BRRCD004, 2002


EARLY, EARLY

It was early, early all in the spring
When my love Willie went to serve the king.
The night being dark and the wind being high,
And they parted me and my sailor boy

Right well he knows that I can wash and wring
Right well he knows that I can card and spin.
I can make up his linens, be they coarse or fine
But the want of money leave s me behind

Come get me into a little wee boat
Where on the ocean that I might float
To view the French fleet as they pass by
That I might enquire for my sailor boy

O, she hadn't been long sailing on the deep
When the lofty French fleet she chanced to meet:
Come tell to me now, my bold ship's crew,
Does my love Willie sail on board of you?

O, no, fair maiden, you love's not here.
He has been drownded of late, I fear.
Near yon dark island that we passed by,
It is there that we lost your fine sailor boy

She wrung her hands and she tore her hair
Saying, I'm a maid that's in deep despair.
Against the rocks her wee boat she flung
Saying, What will I do now my love is gone?

Come get me ink, pen and paper too.
And with her pen, these few lines she drew,
And every word sure she shed a tear
And at every tear she cried, Willie dear!

Come dig my grave and dig it wide and deep
With a marble stone at my head and feet
And around my neck, place a turtle dove
For to warn the world that I died for love