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19 Oct 20 - 04:33 PM (#4076020) Subject: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Folkie Frank I need some help with lyrics, please. The song is The Cabin Boy by The Furrow Collective It is based on this song The Little Cabin Boy, but the lyrics differ somewhat. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you. They seem to throw in the occasional Scottish dialect word. This is what I've managed to transcribe: [Verse] It's of a lady gay And a lady fair and bright She’s fallen in love with a little cabin boy And slighted Lord and Knight [Verse] “Will you tarry on shore with me, my boy Will you tarry on shore with me__?” “??? ??? ??? My mind is by the sea” [Verse] “Gin your love for me is great Mine is greater still But ye mon tae the captain gae And spiel for his goodwill” [Verse] So, she’s to the captain gae “Grant me my Will, said she Gie to me your little cabin boy To tarry on shore with me” [Verse] “And you a lady gay And you ask me for a boy Better it be some Lord or Knight Your sweet body to enjoy” [Instrumental] [Verse] So, she’s to her true love gane “Oh, ??? ???”, said she “The nearest and dearest of lovers we mon part And sae mon you and I” [Verse] Young Billy is on the sea And the waves tossed to-and-fro Crying like a little sea bird From east to west to go home [Verse] But they ??? ??? on the sea ??? ??? ‘Til the gallant ship and her men were lost And the galley were never seen more [Verse] It was in her garden green On green and grassy ground Early when her father he arose This lady’s body he found [Verse] Six maids dressed all in black And six dressed all in green Her ??? ??? For she died for her cabin boy sae young |
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19 Oct 20 - 05:39 PM (#4076040) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Steve Gardham There are a couple of Scottish versions of Roud 1168, one in Christie and the other much earlier in the Crawfurd Collection. This version most likely from Christie. I'll check. |
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19 Oct 20 - 05:49 PM (#4076043) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Steve Gardham No, it's much closer to the Crawfurd version, but I'd guess it's been rewritten using this version as the Crawfurd version is a little disordered. PM me your email and I'll scan it for you. BTW this is one of those oral tradition songs of which we're still searching for a printed source, very likely late 18th century or earlier. |
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19 Oct 20 - 06:12 PM (#4076048) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Reinhard This is what I hear: The Cabin Boy sung by Alasdair Roberts on The Furrow Collective: Fathoms It's of a Lady gay And a Lady fair and bright She's fallen in love with a little cabin boy And slighted Lord and Knight. "Will you tarry on shore wi me, my boy? Will you tarry on shore wi me? I dinnae want any Lord or Knight, My mind is bound to thee." "Gin your love for me is great, Mine is greater still. But ye maun to my captain gae And speir for his goodwill." So she's to the captain gane, "Grant me my Will," said she, "Gie to me your little cabin boy To tarry on shore wi me." "And you a lady gay And you ask me for a boy? Better it be some Lord or Knight Your sweet body to enjoy." So she's to her true love gane, "Oh Billy [coo?]," said she, "The nearest and dearest of lovers we maun part And sae maun you and I." [Then?] Billy is on the sea And the waves toss to and fro, Crying like a little sea bird From East to West to go home. But they hadn't sailed a week on the sea A week but barely four Till the gallant ship and her men were lost And Billy was never seen more. It was in yon gairden green, On green and grassy ground, Early when her faither he arose This lady's body he found. Six maids dressed all in black And six dressed all in green, Her faither and [mother?] are mourning deep For she died for her cabin boy sae young. |
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19 Oct 20 - 09:38 PM (#4076081) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Folkie Frank Thank you, Reinhard, that looks about right. |
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20 Oct 20 - 02:03 PM (#4076169) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: GUEST The sleeve notes give Crawfurd's collection and also a North American variant from the singing of Peggy Seeger as sources. I suppose it's a kind of amalgam of those? |
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20 Oct 20 - 04:59 PM (#4076199) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Steve Gardham Crawfurd dispatched. |
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27 Oct 20 - 08:56 AM (#4077003) Subject: Re: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics for 'The Cabin Boy' From: GUEST An improved version, as corrected by The Furrow Collective's Rachel Newton: The Cabin Boy sung by Alasdair Roberts on The Furrow Collective: Fathoms It's of a lady gay And a lady fair and bright She's fallen in love with a little cabin boy And slighted lord and knight. “Will you tarry on shore wi me, my boy? Will you tarry on shore wi me? I dinnae want any lord or knight, My mind is bound to thee.” “Gin your love for me is great, Mine is greater still. But ye maun to my captain gae And speir for his goodwill.” So she's to the captain gane, “Grant me my Will,” said she, “Gie to me your little cabin boy To tarry on shore wi me.” “And you a lady gay And you ask me for a boy? Better it be some lord or knight Your sweet body to enjoy.” So she's to her true love gane, “Oh Billy, coo,” said she, “The nearest and dearest of lovers we maun part And sae maun you and I.” Now Billy is on the sea And the waves toss to and fro, Crying like a little sea bird From East to West he goes. But they hadn't sailed a league on the sea A league but barely four Till the gallant ship and her men were lost And Billy was never seen more. It was in yon gairden green, On green and grassy ground, Early when her faither he arose This lady's body he found. Six maids dressed all in black And six dressed all in green, Her faither and mother a-mourning gaed For she died for her cabin boy sae young. |
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27 Oct 20 - 08:58 AM (#4077004) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Need Lyrics For 'The Cabin Boy' From: Reinhard Sorry, the last one was me, I lost my cookies. And here is Peggy Seeger's version, one of the sources for Alasdair Roberts: The Little Cabin Boy Peggy Seeger on Blood&Roses Volume 4 Twas of a lady gay A lady of beauty bright All for the love of a little cabin boy She forsake both lord and knight. Away to Billy she go, “Billy, coo,” says she; “I don't want no lord or knight My mind is bound to thee.” “If I your bed may gain, love, If you my arms would fill: You must go to the cap'n of the ship And gain his right good will.” Away to the cap'n she go, “Cap'n, coo,“ says she; “Pretty little Billy, your little cabin boy, Can he tarry on shore with me?” “What, and you a lady so gay, And you ask me for a boy? More fitting you be for a lord or knight Your sweet body for to enjoy.” “No matter for that,” says she, “Billy do please me well; Were his body down deep in the sea, It's I would love him still.” “Away with this talk of love, Come no more to me. Poor little Billy, my little cabin boy, Can’t tarry on shore with thee.” It was in yon garden green, On green and grassy ground, Early, early when the men arose, This lady’s body they found. Now Billy is on the/etc/sudoers.d/sp sea, And the waves toss to and fro, Cryin' like a little sea-bird, From east to west he go. Till the winter wind di blow, And the stormy sea did roar; Then little Billy, her little cabin boy, Was heard and seen no more. |