Lyr Add: Once There Lived a Captain

Subject: Lyr Add: ONCE THERE LIVED A CAPTAIN
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 07:47 PM

ONCE THERE LIVED A CAPTAIN

Sung by John Reilly

Once there lived a captain,
Who was borne out for sea,
And before that he got married,
He was sent far away.

Oh, but when that he returned
To her father he did go.
"Is your daughter inside, sir?
Can I see her once more?"

"For my daughter is not here, sir.
She left us last night.
She is gone to some nunnery,"
Was the old man's reply.

He went on to this nunnery,
And he knocked on the door.
Out comes the Reverend Mother,
And she tearing go leor. [literally=plenty]

Saying, "Your true love is not here, sir,
She is left us here last night.
She is gone to some asylum,
Where she's fractured in mind."

He went on to the asylum,
Where he got a hard surprise,
And the answer that he gave him
Was, "She died here last night."

"Let me in," says the captain.
"Let me in the captain cried.
"Let me in until I see her,
And I'll die by her side."

For he stood at her left side,
And his sharp sword he drew.
He stood to great attention,
And he pierced his heart through.

Oh, sad it was the parting,
And hard it was the dooms
To see two loyal lovers
Lying dead on the floor.

Oh, but green grows the laurel
And soft it falls the dew.
Saying, "Sorry am I, true lover,
For ever parting from you."

As sung by John Reilly on The Bonny Green Tree Topic LP 12T359,recorded by Tom Munnelly in 1967, and currently available on the Topic Voice of the People series; Volume 17.

John Reilly was mentioned on the Raggle Taggle Gipsies thread as the source of Christy Moore's song. He was an Irish travelling man with a great store of ballads, who deserves more recognition; and I would love to have his songs issued again.

The ballad given above appears quite rare, although there are some parts which seem familiar, especially the final verse from Green Grows the Laurel. It is a very bleak song, and I can't help feeling I've come across a similar story somewhere. Does anyone recognise it as a tale from folklore?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Once There Lived a Captain
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 14 Aug 01 - 10:22 PM

All I can add at present is Tom Munnelly's notes from The Bonny Green Tree:

"The motif of the suitor who, on gaining admittance to the side of his recently deceased true-love, there ends his own life is not uncommon in broadsheet balladry for such a tragic theme would undoubtedly have great popular appeal.  An interesting occurence of this motif appears in  Lord Abore and Mary Flynn  a version of  Prince Robert  which like  The Well Below the Valley  is a Child ballad (No. 87) extant only, if tenaciously, in the Irish singing tradition.

Once There lived a Captain is also something of a rarity for the only other traditional performance of the song which I have ever heard is that of Seán Ó Conaire of Rosmue, Co. Galway.  Kevin Conniff, a fine Dublin revivalist singer, now with the Chieftains, has long had it in his repertoire, his source being Seán Ó Conaire."

He also adds, re. verse 8, line 4:  "Seán Ó Conaire sings Lying dead in that room.  He also has the final two stanzas in reverse order to John's singing which makes somewhat better narrative sense."

Are you in a position to transcribe the tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Once There Lived a Captain
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 15 Aug 01 - 01:34 PM

Thanks Malcolm. I am hopeless when it comes to transcribing tunes, so I will try to get some help. That is an interesting note re. the order of the last two verses. I quite like the Green Laurels verse as a sort of coda to the song.
I hadn't thought of the Lord Abore/Prince Robert connection, apart from Tom Munnelly's role in recovering these rare ballads. I can only stand in admiration that he should have happened to hear Frank Feeney sing Lord Abore in a Dublin pub, and recognise it as an otherwise unsung Child ballad. (BTW I understand that Al O'Donnell is still singing, and was at Ennis last year - I hope his records will be de-Bulmered one day.)
As regards the story behind the song my mental google won't come up with the links. I do have some feeling that there is a story where the sailor (or captain) is sent away by the girl's family, and that letters which they write are intercepted, so that she eventually goes insane because he appears to ignore her messages. I think there was mention of a tower (in Spain?) from where she would watch every day, waiting for the sight of her lover's ship.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Once There Lived a Captain
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 11:25 AM

Heard Bernie Crehan sing this (beautifully) in Boyle recently. She learned it from John Reilly , from whom she transcribed songs at the tender age of twelve! Calls it simply "The Captain".

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Once There Lived a Captain
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Jul 05 - 11:26 AM

Grehan , of course.

Regards