Lyr Req: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 01:12 PM

Eddy text

A PRETTY FAIR MAID
From Mrs. Margaret Davis, Perrysville, Ohio.
A pretty fair maid all in her garden
A silor boy came passing by;        
He stepped aside and thus addresssed her
Saying"Pretty fair maid, won't you be my bride?"

2. “I have a sweetheart on the ocean,
For seven long years has been to sea,
And if he stays for seven years longer,
No other man shall marry me.”

3. “Perhaps your sweetheart he is drownded,
Perhaps he’s in some battle slain,
Perhaps he’s to some pretty girl married
And he shall ne’er return again.”

4. “Oh, if my sweetheart he is drownded,
Or if he’s in some battle slain,
Or if he’s to some pretty girl married,
I’ll love the girl that married him.

5. “My sweetheart he is neither drownded
Nor is he in some battle slain,
Nor is he to some pretty girl married,
For he is by my side again.”

6. He put his hand in both his pockets,
His fingers they were long and slim,
And unto me he drew a gold locket,
And to my feet his knees did bend.

7. “I have six ships all on the ocean,
And they are loaded to the brim,
And if I’m not worthy of such a young lady,
I care not if they sink or swim.”

"objectively creepy intrigues me."
Not so creepy

Our note to the County Clare versions


Lady in Her Father’s Garden (Laws N42; Roud 264)
Tom Lenihan Knockbrack, Miltown Malbay Recorded 1980
Recorded at singer’s home, July 1980

This is probably one of the most popular of all the 'broken token’ songs, in which parting lovers are said to break a ring in two, each half being kept by the man and woman. At their reunion, the man produces his half as a proof of his identity.
Robert Chambers, in his Book of Days, 1862-1864, describes a betrothal custom using a 'gimmal' or linked ring:

'Made with a double and sometimes with a triple link, which turned upon a pivot, it could shut up into one solid ring... It was customary to break these rings asunder at the betrothal which was ratified in a solemn manner over the Holy Bible, and sometimes in the presence of a witness, when the man and woman broke away the upper and lower rings from the central one, which the witness retained. When the marriage con¬tract was fulfilled at the altar, the three portions of the ring were again united, and the ring used in the ceremony'.

The custom of exchanging rings as a promise of fidelity lasted well into the nineteenth century in Britain and was part of the plot of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’.
These 'Broken Token' songs often end with the woman flinging herself into the returned lov¬er's arms and welcoming him back
Tipperary Travelling woman, Mary Delaney who also sang it for us, knew it differently and had the suitor even more firmly rejected:

"For it's seven years brings an alteration,
And seven more brings a big change to me,
Oh, go home young man, choose another sweetheart,
Your serving maid I'm not here to be."

Ref: The Book of Days, Robert Chambers, W & R Chambers, 1863-64.
Other CDs: Sarah Anne O'Neill - Topic TSCD660; Daisy Chapman - MTCD 308; Maggie Murphy - Veteran VT134CD.

LISTEN HERE

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor
From: GUEST,t.regan.3
Date: 12 Jul 18 - 11:40 AM

Does anyone have the text for the Eddy version? The tidbit about it adressing the fact that the tested loyalty/returned lover theme is objectively creepy intrigues me.

Subject: ADD Version: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor (C)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 03:57 AM

I like the added "twist" at the end of this one.

SEVEN YEARS I LOVED A SAILOR (C) - Flowery Garden

1. As I walked out in a flowery garden
A fair pretty maid oh I chanced to spy,
Stepping up to her thinking I knew her
I said, "Pretty maid, will you fancy I?"

2. "Perhaps you might be a man of honor,
A man of honor you seem to be."
"I'll marry thee, love, make you my true love,
I will get servants to wait on thee."

3. "Seven years I have loved a sailor,
Seven more he's been gone from me,
And seven more will I wait upon him
Till he returns from across the sea."

4. "If seven years you have loved a sailor
Perhaps he's married, dead, or drowned."
"And if he's married I'll love him better,
And if he's dead he's in glory crowned."

5. He drew his hand out of his pocket,
His fingers held a ring so small,
Saying, "Here's the ring, love, we broke between us."
Soon as she saw it down did she fall.

6. He threw his arms around her middle,
He gave her kisses, one, two, and three,
Saying, "I am yours, love, a single sailor,
Just returned from sea for to marry thee."

7. A short while after this fair young lady
Went to a dance one night so late,
This jealous young man he soon followed after
To prepare himself for a nobler fate.

8. He saw her dancing all with some other,
And jealousy came into his mind,
He then got ready a dose of poison,
He mixed it up with a glass of wine.

9.He gave it unto his own true lover.
She drank it down with a cheerful mind
Not thinking that her own dear loved one
Put a dose of death in her blood-red wine.

10.Soon as she drank it, so soon she felt it.
"Oh carry me home, oh my dear," cried she,
"The dose of liquor you lately gave me
Makes me so ill, love, as I can be."

11. "'Twas in your liquor I put strong poison,
Sure I have drunk the same as thee,
In each other's arms, love, we'll die together,
Young men beware, don't court jealousy."

Although probably no older than two or three hundred years in its present form, this 'returned-lover' ballad goes back much further, at least as far as the Crusades. Similar tales are part of the folklore of many European countries, and French equivalents have been collected in the St. Lawrence Valley from Montreal right around to the Bay of Chaleur. In Folk Songs of Old Quebec, Marius Barbeau quotes a variant of Germine which has three young knights interrogating the girl. She answers:

Je ne suis pas fillette, fillette à marier.
Je me suis mariée à quinze ans et demi.
A plus de sept années, mon mari est parti.

Seven seems to be the magic number in all the members of this family of ballads. Later on in Germine, one of the knights is singled out as her returned husband, but first he must remember the date of the wedding, the dress she wore, and even the colour of her horse. As in this English version, the clincher comes when he produces the broken ring:

T' en souviens-tu, Germine? Tes anneaux d' or uni...
Je t' ai serré' si fort dedans mes bras,
Que ton anneau cassa. Germine, le voilà!

The Dark-Eyed Sailor tells exactly the same story of lovers who broke a gold ring and were parted for seven years. All the Newfoundland variants of Seven Years I Loved a Sailor are similar, except Mr. Osborne's Flowery Garden, which carries the story beyond the simple betrothal vow into more highly-charged emotional states, bringing both lovers to their tragic deaths. This ending seems to have been borrowed from a ballad called Oxford City, a popular nineteenth century broadside which was later collected from oral tradition in the south of England by Vaughan Williams and others.
Source: Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports

Subject: ADD Version: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor (B)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 03:56 AM

This is a little bit different from what Allan C. got from Chris Kane's Songs of Newfoundland and posted. Kane's version seems to be a little juxtaposed here and there.

SEVEN YEARS I LOVED A SAILOR (B)

1. A maiden standing by her window,
A brisk young sailor she chanced to see;
He stepped up to her as if he knew her,
Saying, "Young girl, will you fancy me?"

2. "Fancy you, sir, a man of honor,
A man of honor you seem to be;
To fancy you and to love another,
Your waiting maid sir I never will be.

3. "Seven years I've loved a sailor,
Seven years he's gone to sea,
Seven more I'll wait upon him,
Till he returns to marry me."

4. "Foolish maiden, oh how foolish,
To wait so long on any man;
Perhaps he's dead or perhaps he's married,
Or perhaps he's sick in some far off land."

5. "If he's sick I'll wish him better,
If he's married I'll wish him joy;
And if he's dead I'll wish him heaven,
For he was once my brave sailor boy."

6. "Seven years you have been loyal,
Seven years you have been true.
He put his hand in his waistcoat pocket,
Saying, "Here is the ring, love, I took from you.

7. "Seven years you have been loyal,
Seven years you have been true;
Seven more you'll wait no longer,
For I've come back to marry you."


Source: Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports

Subject: ADD Version: Seven Years I Loved a Sailor (A)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 03:55 AM

There are three versions in Keneth Peacock's Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. Here's the first:

SEVEN YEARS I LOVED A SAILOR (A)

1. A fair maid walking in a flowery garden
A handsome sailor she chanced to see.
He looked at her as if he knew her,
Saying, "Pretty girl, will you marry me?"

2. To marry you, sir, a man of honor,
A man of honor you seem to be,
To marry you, sir, a pretty maiden,
A young man's servant I'll never be."

3. "I don't want you for to be my servant,
I'll marry you, make you my bride,
And I'll have servants to wait upon you
While you and I in a carriage ride."

4. "I have a true lover of my own, sir,
And seven years he has crossed the sea,
And seven years I will wait upon him
Till he returns for to marry me."

5. "Pretty girl, don't you be so foolish
To wait so long for any young man,
He may be dead or he may be married,
Or he may be sick in some foreign land."

6. "If he's sick I will wish him better,
And if he's married I'll wish him joy,
And if he's dead I will wish him heaven,
What more can I wish for my sailor boy?"

7. When he found that she was so constant,
When he saw that she was so true,
He put his hand down into his pocket,
Pulled out a ring they had broke in two.

8. Saying, "Seven years I have loved a lady,
Seven years I have crossed the sea,
And seven more she will wait no longer,
I am returned for to marry thee."


Source: Peacock, Songs of the Newfoundland Outports

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Jul 10 - 03:23 AM

Here's the Traditional Ballad Index entry on this song:

Pretty Fair Maid (The Maiden in the Garden; The Broken Token) [Laws N42]

DESCRIPTION: A girl refuses to be courted by a stranger, saying she will wait for her love. The stranger counters that he may be slain, drowned, or unfaithful; she says she will be faithful anyway. He pulls out his locket, revealing him as her lost, and now rich, love

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1822

KEYWORDS: courting separation brokentoken

FOUND IN: US(Ap,MA,MW,SE,So) Canada(Mar,Newf) Britain(England,Scotland) Ireland Bahamas

REFERENCES (35 citations):
Laws N42, "Pretty Fair Maid (The Maiden in the Garden; The Broken Token)"
Belden, pp. 148-151, "A Sweetheart in the Army" (3 texts plus references to 2 more, 1 tube)
Randolph 55, "The Maiden in the Garden" (3 texts plus 1 fragment and 1 excerpt, 2 tunes)
Randolph/Cohen, pp. 97-99, "The Maiden in the Garden" (1 text, 1 tune -- Randolph's 55A)
Eddy 51, "A Pretty Fair Maid" (1 text, 1 tune)
BrownII 92, "A Pretty Fair Maid in the Garden" (1 text)
Chappell-FSRA 68, "Betty Fair Miss" (1 text, 1 tune)
BrownIII 12, "Madam, I Have Gold and Silver" (1 text, starting with "Wheel of Fortune" but ending with a "Ripest of Apples" verse and ending with a Riley stanza, from this or some other ballad of this type)
Hudson 36, pp. 160-151, "A Pretty Fair Maid" (1 text); also 37, pp. 151-152, "Annie Girl" (1 text, which conflates 2 verses of "The Drowsy Sleeper" [Laws M4], 2 or 3 of "Wheel of Fortune (Dublin City, Spanish Lady)" or "No, John, No: or similar, and 3 verses probably of this)
Scarborough-SongCatcher, pp. 260-264, "The True Sweetheart," "Pretty Fair Maid," "A Pretty Fair Damsel," "A Lily Fair Damsel," The True Sweetheart" (5 texts, mostly rather short; 4 tunes on pp.423-425); in addition, p. 265, "A Soldier Boy," opens with stanzas from this song, but the conclusion is "William Hall (The Brisk Young Farmer)" [Laws N30]
SharpAp 98, "The Broken Token" (6 texts, 6 tunes)
Creighton/Senior, pp. 134-139, "Broken Ring Song" (5 texts, 2 tunes)
Creighton-NovaScotia 28, "Broken Ring" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-Maritime, p. 59, "Broken Ring Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-SNewBrunswick 24, "Broken Ring Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Peacock, pp. 584-589, "Seven Years I Loved a Sailor" (3 texts, 3 tunes; the "C" text, "Flowery Garden," grafts the "Poison in a Glass of Wine" theme (cf. "Oxford City" [Laws P30]) as the ending)
Fowke/MacMillan 65, "The Sailor's Return" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie 63, "The Single Sailor" (2 texts)
Leach, pp. 701-703, "A Sweetheart in the Army" (2 texts)
OLochlainn 2, "A Lady Fair" (1 text, 1 tune)
McBride 47, "The Lady Fair" (1 text, 1 tune)
OBoyle, p. 34, "A Lady Fair" (1 fragment, 1 tune)
Wyman-Brockway I, p. 88, "The Sweetheart in the Army" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fuson, pp. 77-78, "Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?" (1 text, in which, despite the title, the soldier asks the girl to marry, not the reverse)
Cambiaire, pp. 64-65, "The Soldier's Return (A Pretty Fair Maid)" (1 text)
FSCatskills 22, "Johnny Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
McNeil-SFB1, pp. 80-81, "Miss Mary Belle" (1 text, 1 tune)
Sandburg, pp. 68-69, "A Pretty Fair Maid" (1 text, 1 tune)
Ord, pp. 326-327, "The Brisk Young Sailor" (1 text)
Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, pp. 104-105, "The Young and Single Sailor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Abrahams/Foss, pp. 117-118, "A Pretty Fair Miss All in a Garden" (1 text, 1 tune); also pp. 222-223 (1 tune, partial text)
JHCox 92, "A Pretty Fair Maid" (2 texts plus mention of 4 more; the "B" text includes stanzas from "Wheel of Fortune (Dublin City, Spanish Lady)")
SHenry H471, p. 317, "The Broken Ring" (1 text, 1 tune); also probably H818, pp. 317-318, "Green Garden" (1 text, 1 tune)
MacSeegTrav 27, "The Sailor's Return" (3 texts, 3 tunes)
DT 462, JREILLY* JREILLY3* JREILLY5
Roud #264

RECORDINGS:
Mary Cash, "Lady in Her Father's Garden" (on IRTravellers01)
Cousin Emmy [Cynthia May Carver], "Pretty Fair Miss Out In the Garden" (Decca 24213, 1947; on ConstSor1)
Louise Foreacre, "Down in Grandma's Garden" (on Stonemans01)
Warde & Pat Ford, "The Soldier's Sweetheart" (AFS 4204 B1, 1938; tr.; in AMMEM/Cowell)
Sarah Hawkes, "Returning Sweetheart" (on Persis1)
Roscoe Holcomb, "Fair Miss in the Garden" (on Holcomb1) (on FOTM)
Maggie Murphy, "Seven Years Since I Had a Sweetheart" (on IRHardySons)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Pretty Fair Miss Out in the Garden" (on NLCR06)
Sarah Anne O'Neill, "Standing in Yon Flowery Garden" (on Voice10)
Mrs. William Towns, "A Fair Maid Walked in her Father's Garden" (on Ontario1)
Doug Wallin, "Pretty Fair Miss in a Garden" (on Wallins1)
Martin Young & Corbett Grigsby, "Pretty Fair Miss in the Garden" (on MMOKCD)

BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 17(180a), "The Loyal Sailor," J. Ferraby (Hull), 1803-1838; also Harding B 11(4354), Firth c.12(335), "Young and Single Sailor"

CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "John (George) Riley (I)" [Laws N36] and references there

ALTERNATE TITLES:
The Sailor's Return
The Single Sailor
The Single Soldier
John Riley (III)
Flowery Garden

Notes: Eddy's version of this piece may be the only one of these disguised love songs in which the man admits what he is: A creep who sneaks up on his faithful true love.
The second Sam Henry version, "Green Garden," is marked as Laws N42 but with a question mark. I understand the editors' hesitation, but there are enough links to other texts of the song that I think we can list it here. It's not as if we need another Broken Token ballad....
Paul Stamler suggested filing Art Thieme's song "That's the Ticket" here. Since this index occasionally pretends to something resembling scholarship, I couldn't bring myself to do it. But if you want to see the essence of Broken Token absurdity, that song (on Thieme03) probably sums it up as well as is humanly possible. - RBW
The last three verses of Mary Cash's version on IRTravellers01 are the "Phoenix Island" verses from "O'Reilly from the County Leitrim": as a result, the suitor is finally rejected. Jim Carroll's notes to IRTravellers01 cite another version from Mary Delaney who "had the suitor even more fimly rejected:
For it's seven years brings an alteration,
And seven more brings a big change to me,
Oh, go home young man,
choose another sweetheart,
Your serving maid I'm not here to be."
Mary Delaney's "Phoenix Island" on IRTravellers01 is even more extreme (see notes to "O'Reilly from the County Leitrim," which generally ends unfavorably for the suitor). - BS

File: LN42

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Artful Codger
Date: 08 Jul 10 - 06:20 PM

On the first day of folk-fest my true love sang to me...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 08 Jul 10 - 05:34 PM

Just traditional over a very long period that lovers' separation more often than not happens to be the customary 'seven long years'. It occurs in several old ballads such as 'Lord Bateman'. It may or may not have something to do with the statutory period of apprenticeship served in most trades. Many apprentices could not afford to marry until their apprenticeship was served. Then we get such phrases as 'The seven-year itch'. There must be some significance in it.

Meanwhile here are some other song numbers just for fun!
10 green bottles
9 times a night
8 shillings a week
7 nights drunk
6 jolly miners
5 foot flirt
4 drunken maidens
3 jolly butchers
2 lovely black eyes
1 man went to mow.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: GUEST,LDT
Date: 08 Jul 10 - 11:42 AM

Is there significance to it being seven years?
(been reading a book where the heroine says 'seven years' before she can marry again after being 'apparently' widowed)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: pavane
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 04:06 AM

The Dransfields did an excellent version on their 1970 LP
Rout of the Blues (Now 'Bulmerised' and unavailable, I believe)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Amos
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 01:11 AM

Looks pretty much like a straight parlay from John Riley, or is it the other way around?


A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Allan C.
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:41 PM

I found a recording mentioned here. Just scroll down to ALONZO "DITTO" MARSH.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Allan C.
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:29 PM

I didn't see a tune but I should give credit to the website where I found the lyrics. It is Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Welcome to the Mudcat. Hope you'll decide to stay.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:26 PM

Songs by that name are usually forms of The Young and Single Sailor/ The Sailor's Return / A fair maid walking in her garden / The Broken Token etc., which has been found in pretty well every English-speaking country over the years. Allan has just posted one such. Where did it come from?

As Seven Years I Loved a Sailor it's turned up in Scotland and Canada. There are sets in Peacock's Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, for example, and several from various sources in the DT and the Forum here. Number 264 in the Roud Folk Song Index, and N24 in Laws' classification system. It was printed on broadsides during the 19th century as The Young and Single Sailor, The Loyal Sailor and The Sailor's Return; probably other names that I can't think of as well.

I'm afraid that it's way past my bedtime, so that's all from me; but I'm sure that other people will point you toward material available here and elsewhere. There's quite a lot, and probably some tunes.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: GUEST,me, again
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:18 PM

Why thank you, Allan C. whoever you are. Do you have a tune as well?

Subject: Lyr Add: SEVEN YEARS I LOVED A SAILOR
From: Allan C.
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:09 PM

SEVEN YEARS I LOVED A SAILOR

A pretty fair maiden,looking out her window
When a frisky young sailor, she chanced to see
He looked at her, as if he knew her
Saying pretty fair maiden, won't you marry me.

To marry you sir, a man of honour
A man of honour, you seem to be
To marry you sir, and love another,
Your wedding maid sir, I never will be.

Foolish maiden, I did not ask you
Only to be, my blushing bride
I'll have servants, to wait upon you
While you and I in, our carriage ride

I have a sweetheart, of my own sir
Seven years now, he's gone to sea
Seven more and I'll still wait longer
Till he returns for, to marry me.

Foolish maiden, O why so foolish
To waste your love, on any young man
Perhaps he's or, perhaps he's married
And maybe dead in, some foreign land.

If he's sick sir, I'll wish him better
If he's married, I'll wish him joy
If he's dead sir, I'll wish him Heaven
For he was once my, true sailor boy.

When he saw how, she'd been so loyal
When he saw how, she'd been so true
He put his hand, in his coat pocket
said here's the ring love, I took from

Seven years dear, you have been loyal
Seven years now and your still true
Seven more and, you'll wait no longer
For I've returned for, to marry you.

Subject: Lyr Req: Seven Years I loved a Sailor
From: GUEST,Mississippi Marge
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 11:04 PM

Does anyone have the lyric to this song? I think it is a Newfoundland tune....thanks

Marge