Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love

Subject: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 01:18 AM

Thread #6129   Message #2891032
Posted By: GUEST,searching
20-Apr-10 - 09:26 PM
Thread Name: Favorite Celtic songs for singing
Subject: RE: Favorite Celtic songs for singing

I'm searching for a song and wondering if anyone knows it. I don't remember exactly how it goes, but it's about a sailor who came to shore fell in love with a woman, but the sea was his true love so he went back to it. She dressed up as a sailor and worked on his ship and he discovered her and they lived happily ever after. I really loved the song and I can't find it now. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: pavane
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 02:46 AM

Sounds an uncommon variant. In most similar songs, she finds him with another woman and shoots him! E.g. William Taylor.
Not Celtic, either.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: The Doctor
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 04:49 AM

I don't think this version is quite as uncommon as Pavane seems to, and it happened in real life too (not that Folk isn't real life). I don't know about Celtic, but here are a few to start with. 'On board a man of war' is the story of Susan, who followed her sweet William to China and nursed him when he was wounded. In 'The Valiant Lady' he is a farmer's son, and her father has him press-ganged to keep him away from the daughter, but she follows, nurses him etc. 'The Female Sailor Bold', disguised as a cabinboy, followed her love to America, only to discover he had died, so she signed up on another ship. Similarly 'The Female Rambling Sailor' found her love was drowned, but continued to serve until her death. Then there are the soldier versions, and finally the true stories, of which I have found at least five.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: doc.tom
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 11:37 AM

Try 'The Rose of Britain's Isle'.
TomB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 11:40 AM

Canadee-i-o?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: beeliner
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 01:26 PM

"Jackaroe", recorded by Joan Baez on Joan Baez in Concert part 2 and Bob Dylan on World Gone Wrong..

Subject: Lyr Add: WILLIE TAYLOR
From: MissouriMud
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 02:25 PM

Uncle Earl does a version of Willie Taylor in which the lady dresses up as a sailor to follow her pressed lover only to discover his infidelity, so she shoots him and becomes a commander

This is their attribution and lyrics:
WILLIE TAYLOR
Traditional
Source:John Doyle
Arrangement: Uncle Earl

Willie Taylor and his youthful lover,
Full of mirth and loyalty,
They were going to the church to be married,
He was pressed and sent on sea.

Dolly dilly dum dilly dum dum day

She dressed herself up like a sailor
On her breast she wore a star
Her lovely fingers long and slender
She gave them all just a smear of tar.

Dolly…

On the ship there being a skirmish
She was one amongst the rest
A silver button flew off her jacket
There appeared her snow-white breast.

Dolly…

Said the captain to this fair maid
What misfortune has took you here
I'm in search of my true lover,
Who you pressed on the other year.

Dolly…

If you're in search of your true lover
Tell me what might be his name
Willie Taylor's what they call him,
But Fitzgerald is his name.

Dolly…

If you'll get up tomorrow morning
Early as the break of day
There you'll spy your Willie Taylor
Walking along with a lady gay.

Dolly…

So she got up the very next morning
Early as the break of day
And there she spied her Willie Taylor
Walking along with a lady gay.

Dolly…

So she pulled out a brace of pistols
That she had at her command
And there she shot her Willie Taylor
With his bride at his right hand.

Dolly…

When the captain came to hear
Of the deed that she had done
He made her a ship's commander
Over a vessel for the Isle of Man.

Dolly…

Subject: Lyr Add: CAROLINE AND HER YOUNG SAILOR BOLD
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 02:55 PM

Caroline and her Young Sailor Bold seems the winner for me.
Jim Carroll

CAROLINE AND HER YOUNG SAILOR BOLD

It's of a rich nobleman's daughter, uncommonly handsome we hear,
Her father possessed a large fortune of thirty five thousands a year,
He had only one daughter, Caroline her name, so we're told,
One day from her drawing room window she admired a young sailor bold.

His cheeks they appeared like roses, his hair it was black as jet,
Young Caroline watched his departure, walked round until William she met,
She said, I'm a nobleman's daughter possessed of ten thousands in gold,
I forsake both my father and mother to wed with a young sailor bold.

Said William, young lady remember your parents you are bound to mind,
sailors there is no depending when their true love they've left far behind,
Be advised, stay at home with your parents and do by them as you are told,
And never let anyone tempt you to wed with a young sailor bold.

She said, there's no-one shall persuade me one moment to alter my mind,
I'll ship and proceed with my true love, he never shall leave me behind,
She dressed like a gallant young sailor, forsook both her parents and gold,
Four years and a half on the salt sea she ploughed with her young sailor bold.

Three times, with her love she was shipwrecked and always
Proved constant and true, Her duty she did like a sailor aloft in a jacket so blue,
Her father long wept and lamented, from his eyes tears in torrents long rolled,
Till at last they arrived safe in England, Caroline and her young sailor bold.

Then Caroline went to her father all dressed in a jacket so blue,
He received her and momently fainted when first she appeared in his view,
She said, dear father, forgive me, deprive me forever of gold, grant me my request,
I'm contented to wed with my young sailor bold.

With all troubles at sea far behind them and a love that would last throughout life.
Her fond parents joy and their blessing Caroline soon became William's wife,
They were wedded and Caroline's fortune was five hundred thousands in gold,
And now they live happy together, Caroline and her young sailor bold.

---

Version in Digital Tradition (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 03:33 PM

Joe,
This really is a very common theme even with all of these ingredients, as shown by the suggestions above and many more. It really needs some sort of a clincher like a line from the song.

Subject: Lyr Add: JACKAROE
From: beeliner
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 04:48 PM

"Jackaroe" lyrics:

Oh, there was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you I'll tell
Oh, the truth to you I'll tell.

She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree
There was none but Jackie Frazier, her true love e'er to bee
Oh, her true lover e'er to be.

"Oh daughter, oh daughter your body I will confine
If none but Jack the sailor, would ever suit your mind
Oh, would ever suit your mind."

"This body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine
There's none but Jack the Sailor would have this heart of mine
Oh, would have this heart of mine."

Now Jackie's gone a-sailing with trouble on his mind
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind
Oh, his darling girl behind.

She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array
Then she went into a vessel to convey herself away
Oh, convey herself away.

"Before you step on board, sir, your name I'd like to know"
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "They call me Jack-A-Roe"
Oh, they call me Jack-A-Roe.

"Your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball"
Oh, to face the cannonball.

"I know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small
But it would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall"
Oh, to see ten thousand fall.

The war soon being over, they hunted all around
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found
Oh, her darling love she found.

She picked him up all in her arms and carried him to town
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds
Oh, to quickly heal his wounds.

This couple, they got married, so well they did agree
This couple they got married, so why not you and me
Oh, so why not you and me ?

Subject: Lyr Add: THE PRESS GANG (from Cecil Sharp)
From: foggers
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 05:13 PM

THE PRESS GANG (collected by Cecil Sharp)

It's of a rich gentleman in London did dwell
He had but one daughter, most beautiful girl
Three squires came a-courting but she refused all.
"I will marry a sailor that's proper and tall".

"Now father dear father please hinder me not
To marry a sailor I hope 'tis my lot
To see him in his glory with a smile on his face
I am sure that a sailor he is no disgrace"

They walked out and they talked both night and day
They walked and they talked and fixed the wedding day.
The old man overheard them and these words did say
"He shan't marry my daughter, I'll press him to sea".

As they was a-walking towards the church door
The press gang over took them and from her him tore.
They pressed that poor fellow all on the salt sea.
Instead of getting married he sorrowed for she.

She cut off her hair and she altered her clothes
And to the press master immediately goes
"Press master, press master do you need a man?
I am willing and ready to do all that I can"

So she shipped on board of the very same boat
Her true love for a messmate immediately took
True love for a messmate you presently shall hear
She lay by his side for full half a year.

The one morning one morning as these two arose
They fell into discourse as they put on their clothes.
"Once I had a sweetheart, in London dwelled she,
But it's her cruel father that pressed me to sea".

She looked in his face and she looked him quite start,
Saying "Now I believe you are my sweetheart.
For now, let's get married before our ship's crew.
We won't care for father or all he can do".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 07:13 PM

Jim and Beeliner and Foggers, it's great to have all these lyrics (and these are terrific songs), but can you tell us where you got them from?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: beeliner
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 07:54 PM

Dylan's recorded version is a virtual note-for-note copy of Baez' much earlier one, with possibly a few words changed.

I could have typed the lyrics from memory but to save time I found them here:

http://www.lyricstime.com/bob-dylan-jack-a-roe-lyrics.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 08:11 PM

Joe, Caroline And Her Young Sailor Bold was fairly common in the tradition. I suspect it probably was one of the few that originated on the broadside presses, it has all the hallmarks of having done so, but probably Steve Gardham can probably put us right on that one.
We recorded that particular version from Norfolk singer Walter Pardon.
I'd be interested to know where Beeliner's verion of Jackaro came from; I first heard it on the Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl Folkways album, Two Way Trip. I seem to remember Peggy got her American version from John Harrington Cox's Folk Songs of the South.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: beeliner
Date: 21 Apr 10 - 08:52 PM

From Wikipedia:"Jack Monroe", also known as "Jack Munro," "Jackie Monroe," "Jack-A-Roe," "Jackaroe," "Jackaro," "Jackie Frazier," "Jack the Sailor," "Jack Went A-Sailing," "The Love of Polly and Jack Monroe," among other titles, is a traditional ballad of uncertain (though presumably British) origin.

The version "Jack The Sailor" collected in Cecil Sharp's English Folk Songs From the Southern Appalachians is frequently cited.

Dianne Dugaw's Warrior Women and Popular Balladry, 1650-1850 gives a 1934 version of "Jack Monroe" collected in Missouri, and also notes the existence of a version "on an 1830s Boston broadside in American Antiquarian Society, Uncatalogued Ballads."

The song is a staple of the folk rock repertoire and has been performed by Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and more commonly, The Grateful Dead (as Jack-A-Roe). In 1931, Florence Reece used this tune for her song "Which Side Are You On?".

I would say that Ms. Reece ADAPTED the tune.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 Apr 10 - 03:04 PM

Jim,
As you probably suspected I'd say: All of the many songs I know of that come into this category very likely first saw light of day on street literature. Can you point me to any you think didn't?

I'm absolutely certain the ones quoted so far did.

But all this is totally irrelevant to someone just trying to identify a song they want to sing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Apr 10 - 04:48 PM

"Can you point me to any you think didn't?"
How long have you got Steve?
Probably not the time and the place -then of course, I'd require proof that it hadn't been in the oral tradition beforehand, and we've already agreed that you can't provide that.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Apr 10 - 08:28 AM

More info on Caroline and her young sailor bold here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 27 Apr 10 - 04:15 PM

Jim,
I've always got time for you!

Subject: Lyr Add: IN LONDON SO FAIR
From: GUEST,Steve
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 12:51 AM

In London So Fair (my version is Susan McKeown, but I got the lyrics from Eliza Carthy)

In London so fair a lady she lived there,
A lady of great beauty and great might,
And unto this lady fair I became a servant there,
And in me she took a great delight.

Now this lady had a son of wealth and beauty born,
And he became a sailor on the sea,
And he courted that fair maid till he had her heart betrayed,
And then he was bound for the sea.

It happened one day in the bedroom where they lay,
And the tears from her eyes they down did flow,
Saying, "Young man you are going away so far from me to stray,
And to leave me on the shores for to mourn."

"Oh no, no", says he, "such things can never be,
For as long as I'm a sailor on the sea,
The ship that I command she will never reach dry land,
On the day that I prove false, love, unto thee."

She cut off her yellow hair that hung down her back so fair,
For fear that anybody would her know,
Then in a sailor's dress, that very night she went,
And straight to the captain she did go.

She being neat and trim complete in every limb,
And the clothes fitted tightly to her knee,
While the crew unto her gazed the captain to her says,
"Young man now were you ever on the sea?"

"Oh no, no", says she, "I was never on the sea,
But ship me as a young sailor bold,
For I now do choose to go where the stormy winds do blow,
To purchase some silver and some gold."

It happened one day in the cabin where he lay,
And the tears from his eyes they down did flow,
Saying, "You're like a lover of mine that I think on many's the time,
That I left on the shores for to mourn."

"Oh no, no", says she, "such things can never be,
For as long as I'm a sailor on the sea,
The ship that I command it'll never reach dry land,
On the day that I prove false, love, unto thee."

His own words he knew she spoke beneath the crew,
So into her arms flew like a dove,
Saying, "Do not shed a tear you have followed me my dear,
And it's married, it's married we will be."

They sent for clerk, they sent for a mate,
They sent for a clergyman likewise,
Now this couple they are wed and together they do bed,
And now they're living happy on the sea.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her lo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 10:05 AM

Steve-

That's a nice one.

Here's one that's inspired by all of the above but with its own twist. I'm not sure it's still quite finished and I'd be opened to suggestions for improvement (copy and paste into WORD/TIMES/12 to live up chords):

Words by Charlie Ipcar and Judy Barrows, © 2006
Tune by Charlie Ipcar, © 2006
1/5/10
Key: C (7/F)

They Said Goodbye


C-------F----------C-----------F-----------C
So she said good-bye with a tear in her eye,
--------F-------------C------G
And a smile pasted on her lips;
-----F----------------C-------------F--------C
For no one should know how it hurt her so
----------F----C---G---------C
That her Dan was off to his ship;
--------G---------C---G----C-----G---C
For he loved the sea, even more than she,
------F-------------C----------------G
And it called him back from the shore;
-------F-----------C-----------F-----------C
So she said good-bye with a tear in her eye,
----------F---C-G--------C
An' he's off to sea once more.


So he said good-bye with a tear in his eye,
And a smile pasted on his lips;
For she wants him to go, to earn some more dough,
So he's off to that damned old ship;
For he wants his wife to have a good life,
An' there's no work for him on the shore;
So he said good-bye with a tear in his eye,
An' he's off to sea once more.

As Dan walked along, he was singing forlorn,
"Now, boys, I'm outward bound!
When your money's gone, it's the same old song,
Get up, Jack, John, sit down."
Then he met an old friend by the Mermaid Inn,
Who dragged him in for a round –
But he still made the boat, though barely afloat,
And in his bunk was soon sleeping sound.

Then early next morn, it was just getting dawn,
Sally awoke an' she cried;
"I'll be damned if I'll stay an' keep house all day
While Dan's off sailing the tide."
So in his ol' striped shirt, her face cover'd with dirt,
And a pair of his patched dungarees,
Out the doorway she sped, to the old pierhead,
Found his ship before it could leave.

With one mighty leap she crashed in a heap,
On the deck she came to rest;
When she could breath ag'in, she said with a grin,
"I've been sent by Paddy West!"
The Mate with dispatch he led her aft,
An' the ship's book she quickly signed,
Then she joined the deck crew, there was work to do,
Castin' loose the mooring lines.

So they warped her out, with a song an' a shout,
Loosed the sails to the winds that blow;
Then the Mate sent her down, with a kick an' a frown,
To roust out the next watch below;
Dan opened his eyes with bleary surprise,
In the watch-lamp's eerie glow,
As his new shipmate said, with a toss of her head,
"It's time to roll an' go!"

So they said good-bye, with no tears in their eyes
But with big smiles on their lips,
To the fading shore an' the breakers roar,
An' were off on a wide world trip;
They'll sing the old songs as their ship rolls along,
And all things will be fine,
An' they'll mind that day when they sailed away,
An' left their dull cares behind.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 12:22 PM

Theres this nouvelle vague piece of cinema called Carry On jack....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: breezy
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 12:06 PM

Could the song ye be asearching of be

'The Handsome Cabin Boy'

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HANDSOME CABIN BOY
From: breezy
Date: 02 Jan 11 - 12:09 PM

THE HANDSOME CABIN BOY


It's of a pretty female
As you may understand.
Her mind being bent for rambling
Unto some foreign land,
She dressed herself in sailor's clothes,
Or so it does appear,
And she hired with a captain
To serve him for a year.

[The captain's wife she being on board,
She seemed in great joy
To think the captain had engaged
Such a handsome cabin boy,
That now and then she'd slip him a kiss,
And she'd have liked to toy,
But 'twas the captain found out the secret
Of the handsome cabin boy.]

Her cheeks they were like roses
And her hair rolled in a curl.
The sailors often smiled and said
He looked just like a girl.
But eating of the captain's biscuit
Her colour did destroy,
And the waist did swell of pretty Nell,
The handsome cabin boy.

It was in the bay of Biscay
Our gallant ship did plow.
One night among the sailors
Was a fearful flurry and row.*
They tumbled from their hammocks
For their sleep it did destroy,
And they sworn about the groaning
Of the handsome cabin boy.

"Oh doctor, dear, oh doctor,"
The cabin boy did cry.
"My time has come, I am undone,
And I will surely die."
The doctor come a-runnin'
And a-smilin' at the fun.
To think a sailor lad should have
A daughter or a son.

The sailors when they saw the joke
They all did stand and stare.
The child belonged to none of them,
They solemnly did swear.
The captain's wife, she says to him,
"My dear, I wish you joy,
For 'tis either you or me's betrayed
The handsome cabin boy!"

[Now sailors, take your tot of rum
And drink success to trade,
And likewise to the cabin boy
That was neither man nor maid.
Here's hoping the wars don't rise again
Our sailors to destroy,
And here's hoping for a jolly lot more


Nah

Subject: Lyr Add: YOUNG SUSAN
From: GUEST,Auldtimer
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 12:56 PM

....or could it be Young Susan?

Young Susan was a bloming maid so charming stout and bold
And when her William went to sea
Young Susan we are told
Put on a jolly sailor suit
And daubed her hands with tar
To be with her sweet Wiliam bold
On board of a man of war

It was in Portsmouth harbour where the gallant ship was moored
And hen young Susan shipped there were
Five hundred men on board
Twas then she was contented
All be daubed with pitch and tar
To be with her sweet William bold
On board of a man of war

All through the Bay of Biscae she aloft like lighting flew
Respected by her officers
And all the jovial crew
And when in battle she did run not fearing wound or scar
She did her duty by her gun
On board of a man of war

She faced the wall of China where her life was not insured
And little did her William think
His Susan was on board
But by a crewel cannon ball
She did receive a scar
Yes she was slightly wounded here
On board of a man of war

Well when too the deck young Susan fell of all the whole ships crew
Guess who was the very first
Who to her assistance flew
She said my dear for you I have received this scar
Behold your faithfull Susan bold
On board of a man of war

And when to England they retuned and soon thare home they made
When bells were rung and songs were sung
And all in one bed laid
They oftimes think upon that day when she received that scar
When Susan followed her true love
On board of a man of war

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her lo
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 05:26 PM

Auldtimer-

Nice one! Where did you find it?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: GUEST,Auldtimer
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 06:18 PM

It was in a book by Frank Kidson collection and I blieve the first Gavin Grieg folksongs of the North East. It is Music Hall influenced and a bit tongue in cheek.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Woman dresses as sailor to win her love
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 11:21 AM

Also perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek: ~~ The "Short Jacket & White [or Blue] Trousers" family (2 versions in DT as "Short Jacket", one from Greenleaf, Newfoundland, collected from Mrs Tom White 1929). Versions were sung & recorded at various times by Louis Killen & Bert Lloyd. The story is abbreviated to between 4 & 7 verses ~~ mostly concerning the captain [sometimes Ross or Roth] with whom she enlists as cabin boy, trying to "find her secret out" [cf "Handsome Cabin Boy"]; but she holds him off and leaves him to "roar" (rhyme! after they have "docked in Baltimore" or "reached the Irish shore") when she appears in her petticoats and bids him adieu. The end of stanza 1 or 2 states that she does all this "All to find her own true love, Across the raging sea"; but we do not hear of this shadowy figure again in most versions, and this theme seems introduced merely as a sort of mechanical & perfunctory nod to the widespread convention that gives rise to the subject of this thread!

〠Michael〠