Origins: He Was A lonely Sailor Man

Subject: Origins: He Was A lonely Sailor Man
From: GUEST,Chanteyranger
Date: 07 Jul 04 - 06:56 PM

This poem (or song)was found in the papers of the late U.S. Senator Alan Cranston. A biogrqapher asked me if I could find out anything about its origins. There are 16 verses (and the writing is hard to decipher). It begins:

He was a lonely sailor man
And his face was lined with grief
As he sat alone on a piece of stone
On a rocky windswept reef

Oh sailor man, I said to him
What ----this awful woe
You sit and sigh on this rock and cry
What makes you weepest so?

He was sailin' round the horn, said he,
When he hit a fearful gale
And of all the crew there was only two
what survived to tell the tale

There was only me and my old pal bill
Cast up on a rocky beach
(next line very hard to read)
As far as the eye could see

Poor Bill was ill with tyhe wet and cold
Had a nasty cold in his chest
So he says to me, old pal, -----
Please grant me this last request

My pal, my Bill, I want to make my will
So I looked about for paper, a pen, and ink
But nary a one could I find

Til Bill said here, I've a fine idear
I knows what I can do
So he tatooed a will with a quill upon my back

In a hour or two old Bioll died
And I sat alone and cried
Till late that day about a mile away
A sailing ship I spied

There are some more verses, very hard to read.

A google search on the title came to nothing. If this looks familiar, I'd appreciate any info, and will pass it on, with credit to you, to his biographer. Thanks!

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Origins: He Was A lonely Sailor Man
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 08 Jul 04 - 02:20 PM

I remember this as a story, so it is out there somewhere. So far no luck although I have tried various possible titles.

I did find a broadside about a sailor's will, but will post it separately so as not to muddy this thread.

Subject: RE: Origins: He Was A lonely Sailor Man
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 01:49 PM

refresh