Lyr Add: Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea (Thompson)

Subject: Lyr Add: Willie's On The Dark Blue Sea (The Marin
From: Amos
Date: 02 Sep 08 - 10:42 PM

THE MARINER,

or WILLIE'S on THE DARK BLUE SEA.

My Willie's on the dark blue sea,
He's gone far o'er the main,
And many a weary day will pass
Ere he'll come back again.

Then blow gently winds o'er the dark blue sea,
Bid the storm king stay his hand,
And bring my Willie back to me,
To his own dear native land.

I love my Willie best of all,
He e'er was true to me,
But lonesome, dreary are the hours,
Since first he went to sea.

There's danger on the water now,
I hear the blond-bills cry,
And moaning voices seem to speak
From out the cloudy sky.

I see the vivid lightning's flash,
And hark ! the thunder's roar ;
Oh ! Father, save my Willie from
The storm-king's mighty power.

And as she spoke, the lightning ceased,
Hushed was the thunder's roar ;
And Willie clasped her in his arms,
To roam the sea no more.

Now blow gentle winds o'er the dark blue sea,
No more, we'll stay thy hand ;
Since Willie's safe at home with me,
In his own dear native land.

---

These lyrics are from The Celtic Garland By Henry Whyte, Fionn Published by Archibald Sinclair, 1885, in Glasgow, 2d Ed.

Original from Harvard University, digitized by Google Books 2007

A sample of it was recorded by John Quincy Wolf:

BLOW GENTLE WINDS
Sung by: Mrs. Russell Vaughan
Recorded in Memphis, TN

Click here to listen to the original recording

(Mrs. Vaughan: "I want to sing another little song my mother sung. There's only two verses of it that I know, but I always thought it was so pretty.")

Blow, gentle winds o'er the dark blue sea,
Bid the storm king stay his hand,
And bring my Willie back again
To his own dear native land.

Shine, gentle moon, o'er the dark blue sea,
Shine amidst the waves so deep,
And bring my Willie back to me
So his promise he can keep.

---

Note Ms. Vaughan's second verse is not in the Celtic Garland version.

AHJ

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie's On The Deep Blue Sea (The Marin
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 02 Sep 08 - 11:53 PM

Google Books denies access to that book to users in the country of its origin, but there are freely-available copies at the Internet Archive. The author of the English words is not credited, but the translation into Gaelic that accompanies it is by Whyte, of course.

The original song was written by the American songwriter Henry S Thompson (composer of 'Lilly Dale'). Sheet music of 1849 can be seen at 'American Memory': Willie's on the dark blue sea, ballad / by H. S. Thompson, and there are later editions at the Levy Collection.

Currently split between numbers 2057 and 4223 in the Roud Folk Song Index, the few example listed are all American but for a single verse, with tune, in the Greig-Duncan collection.

Subject: Lyr Add: WILLIE'S ON THE DARK BLUE SEA (Thompson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 04 Sep 08 - 07:55 AM

Here are the lyrics as they appear in the sheet music. Only a few words are different (underlined); the most important thing is that the chorus is identified.

WILLIE'S ON THE DARK BLUE SEA
H. S. Thompson
Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1849.

1. My Willie's on the dark blue sea,
He's gone far o'er the main,
And many a weary day will pass
Ere he'll come back again.

CHORUS: Then blow gentle winds o'er the dark blue sea,
Bid the storm-king stay his hand,
And bring my Willie back to me,
To his own dear native land.

2. I love my Willie best of all,
He e'er was true to me,
But lonesome, dreary are the hours,
Since first he went to sea.

3. There's danger on the water now,
I hear the blond-bills cry;
And moaning voices seem to speak
From out the cloudy sky.

4. I see the vivid lightning's flash,
And hark! the thunders roar;
Oh Father, save my Willie from
The storm-king's mighty power.

5. And as she spoke the lightning ceased,
Hushed was the thunder's roar;
And Willie clasped her in his arms,
To roam the seas no more.

LAST CHORUS: Now blow gentle winds o'er the dark blue sea,
No more, we'll stay thy hand;
Since Willie's safe at home with me,
In his own dear native land.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea (Thompson)
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 04 Sep 08 - 08:13 AM

pretty. I'll bet the tune's nice as well.

Sing it at the Getaway?

Dani

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea (Thompson)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 04 Sep 08 - 08:43 AM

Two editions are at the Levy collection.

Title: Willie's On The Dark Blue Sea.
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: Written & Composed by H.S. Thompson.
Publication: Boston : Oliver Ditson, 115 Washington St.
Date: 1853

Title: Song Sheet Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea. [words only]
Composer, Lyricist, Arranger: na
Publication: Boston : Horace Partridge, Hanover Street
Date: [n.d.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Willie's on the Dark Blue Sea (Thompson)
From: Amos
Date: 04 Sep 08 - 11:22 AM

Dani:

I'll see if I can get it down pat by then.

A