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Lyr/Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist for a Sailor (Clifton

04 Sep 00 - 12:51 PM (#290802)
Subject: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: GUEST,wildwoodmorris@aol.com

I'm looking for the tune and lyrics to the above mentioned song-NOT the Sherborne Morris dance, but the song itself. I've looked in every English/Irish etc. songbook I have with no luck. Can anyone help

04 Sep 00 - 02:17 PM (#290860)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: Anglo

It's in Frank Purslow's book "Marrowbones" inder the title "The Unfortunate Tailor." Also John Kirkpatrick recorded it (Morris On, I think).

04 Sep 00 - 06:51 PM (#291002)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: Snuffy

Yes, it's on the Morris On LP. Don't know if it's been released as a CD, though

Wassail! V

05 Sep 00 - 12:29 AM (#291179)
Subject: Lyr Add: Unfortunate Tailor^^
From: Malcolm Douglas

THE UNFORTUNATE TAILOR

Oh list, oh list to my sorrowful lay,
Attention give to my song, I pray,
And when you've heard it all, you'll say
That I'm an unfortunate tailor.

I once was as happy as a bird on a tree,
My Sarah was all in the world to me,
Now I'm cut out by a son of the sea,
And she's left me here to bewail her.

Oh, why did Sarah serve me so?
No more will I stitch, no more will I sew;
My thimble and my needle to the winds I'll throw,
And go and 'list for a sailor.

My Sarah was the daughter of a publican,
A generous, kind, good sort of a man,
Who spoke very plain what he thought of a man,
And he never looked "crow" at the tailor.

My days were honey and my nights were the same,
Till a man called Cobb from the ocean came,
With his long black beard and his muscular frame,
A captain on board of a whaler.

He spent his money both frank and free,
With his tales of the land and songs of the sea,
He stole my Sarah's heart from me,
And blighted the hopes of a tailor.

Once I was with her, when in came Cobb ¹
"Avast!" he cried, "you lubbery swab.
If you don't knock off I'll scuttle your knob!"
And Sarah smiled at the sailor.

And now I'll cross the raging sea,
Since Sarah is untrue to me.
My heart's locked up and she's the key;
What a very unfeeling gaoler.

So now, kind friends, I'll bid you adieu,
No more my woes shall trouble you;
I'll ramble the country through and through,
And go and 'list for a sailor.


Dr. George Gardiner collected Hampshire versions of this song from George Lovett of Winchester in 1906, and from Alfred Oliver of Basingstoke in 1907.  Frank Purslow published a collated set of these in Marrowbones (EFDS Publications, 1965) which I give here, with the following modifications:

The order of verses was rather confusing, having presumably been jumbled up by the source singers; I have re-ordered them to make reasonable narrative sense, following the pattern used by John Kirkpatrick for his recording of the song, as I'll go and 'list for a Sailor (Morris On, Island Records HELP5, 1972, now re-issued on CD - Hannibal Records in the UK, Carthage Records in the US)

The first two lines of verse 6 (here) were given by Purslow as

Avast! he cried, you lubbery swab
Without guessing my love, in came that Cobb

I have substituted Kirkpatrick's modification, which makes better sense.

A midi of the tune as given by Purslow goes to Alan's Mudcat Midi Site, where it will appear in due course.


Malcolm^^

Click to play

01 Apr 02 - 04:15 AM (#680595)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: Liz the Squeak

Cheers for that Snuffy, just found it in a pile of stuff so don't have to type it all out!! Whoo hoo!!!!

LTS

01 Apr 02 - 01:05 PM (#680808)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: nutty

it's here on a broadside in the Bodleian Library

I'll go and enlist for a sailor

The "avast" bit also makes sense here

01 Apr 02 - 01:53 PM (#680824)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: allanwill

Great find, nutty - I love seeing things like that.

Allan

04 Apr 02 - 02:23 PM (#682981)
Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL GO AND ENLIST FOR A SAILOR (1868)
From: Jim Dixon

Transcribed by me from the broadside in the Bodleian Library, which Nutty gave a link to above. This has a couple of half-verses more than the version posted by Malcolm Douglas above, and a few minor differences in wording.

I'LL GO AND ENLIST FOR A SAILOR
(1868)

List, oh list, to my sorrowful lay,
Attention give to my song I pray,
And when you've heard it all you'll say
That I'm "an unfortunate tailor."
I once was as happy as a bird on a tree,
My Sarah was all in the world to me,
But I'm cut out by a "son of the sea"--
She has left me here to bewail her.

CHORUS: Oh, why did my Sarah serve me so?
No more will I stitch, no more will I sew,
My thimble and my needle to the winds I'll throw,
And go and enlist for a sailor.

My Sarah was the daughter of a publican,
A gen'rous, kind, good sort of a man,
Who spoke very plain what he thought of a man,
But he never looked cross at the tailor.
My Sarah was as tall as a poplar tree,
As fair as a lily and as brisk as a bee,
And many were the smiles that she smiled on me--
Oh, why am I left to bewail her?

My days were happy, and my nights the same,
Till a man, named Cobb, from the ocean came,
With a big black beard and a muscular frame--
A captain on board of a whaler.
He spent his money so frank and free,
With his tales of the land and his songs of the sea,
He stole my Sarah's heart from me,
And blighted the hopes of the tailor.

I went to plead, but she did refuse,
She loved another, so I must excuse
Her candour, but it was no use,
She never could marry a tailor!
When telling my love in came that Cobb,
Who cried, "Avast there, you lubberly swob,
If you don't belay I'll scuttle your nob"--
And Sarah smiled at the sailor.

And so I'll cross the raging sea,
Since Sarah is untrue to me;
My heart's locked up and she's the key--
A very unfeeling jailor.
Farewell, kind friends, a last adieu,
No more my woes shall trouble you;
The world I'll wander through and through-
I'll go and enlist for a sailor.

04 Apr 02 - 03:35 PM (#683054)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: Malcolm Douglas

The above from a broadside printed by The Poet's Box, Glasgow; issue of Saturday morning, Sept. 19, 1868. Tune - original.

Besides the two examples found by Dr. Gardiner, Alfred Williams noted another version from John Webley of Arlington in Gloucestershire (probably between 1914 and 1916); this has not been published. The song, which Steve Roud's Folk Song Index assigns Roud number 1614, does not seem to have been found elsewhere in tradition.

The midi I promised some 19 months ago hasn't appeared on the Mudcat Midi Pages as yet, so for now it can be heard via the South Riding Folk Network site:

The Unfortunate Tailor (midi)

25 Oct 02 - 01:59 PM (#811234)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: MMario

it's there now!

25 Oct 02 - 06:11 PM (#811441)
Subject: RE: Tune Req: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: RolyH

'Morris On' has recently been reissued again on CD by Fledg'ling (FLED 3037)

10 Jun 10 - 08:14 PM (#2925096)
Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL GO AND ENLIST FOR A SAILOR (Clifton)
From: Artful Codger

The song was written by the music hall performer Harry Clifton. Here are the lyrics and tune transcribed from the original Hopwood and Crew sheet music, compliments of Michael Heany of the Bodleian Library.


I'LL GO AND ENLIST FOR A SAILOR.
   Song of the Unfortunate Tailor.
   Written and sung by Harry Clifton. [1868]

List! oh list! to my sorrowful lay,
Attention give to my song I pray,
And when you've heard it all you'll say
   That I'm "an unfortunate tailor."
I once was as happy as a bird on a tree,
My Sarah was all the world to me,
But I'm cut out by a "son of the sea",
   She has left me here to bewail her.

        CHORUS.
Oh! why did my Sarah serve me so ?
No more will I stitch, no more will I sew,
My thimble and my needle to the winds I'll throw,
   And go and enlist for a sailor.

My Sarah was the daughter of a publican,
A gen'rous, kind, good sort of a man,
Who spoke very plain what he thought of a man,
   But he never look'd cross at the tailor;
My Sarah was as tall as a "poplar tree",
As "fair as a lily" and as "brisk as a bee",
And many were the smiles that she smil'd on me--
   Oh, why am I left to bewail her?

My days were happy, and my nights the same,
Till a man nam'd Cobb, from the ocean came,
With a "big black beard" and, a muskilar frame--
   A captain on board of a whaler,
He spent his money so frank and free,
With his "tales of the land" and his "songs of the sea",
He stole my Sarah's heart from me,
   And blighted the hopes of the tailor.

I went to plead, but she did refuse,
She lov'd another, so I must excuse
Her candour, but it was no use,
   She never could marry a tailor !
When telling my love in came that "Cobb",
Who cried, "Avast there, you lubberly swab!"
"If you don't belay, I'll scuttle your nob"--
   And Sarah smil'd at the sailor !

And so I'll cross the raging sea,
Since Sarah is untrue to me;
My heart's lock'd up and she's the key--
   A very unfeeling jailor.
Farewell, kind friends, a last a-doo,
No more my woes shall trouble you;
The world I'll wander thro' and thro'--
   I'll go and enlist for a sailor!

Source: Bodleian Library: Harding Mus. R 649
Sheet music published by Hopwood and Crew, 42 New Bond Street, London; s/n 1222
Transcribed by Michael Heaney.


ABC transcription of the melody:

X:1
T:I'll Go and Enlist for a Sailor
T:Song of the Unfortunate Tailor
C:Written by Harry Clifton, 1868
S:Sheet music published by Hopwood and Crew, London; s/n 1222
Z:Artful Codger
N:Bodleian Library: Harding Mus. R 649
%%MIDI program 1 69
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=60
K:Em
E3 E (EF) F G | B B G2 E3 D | D2 D2 (DE) E D |
w: List! oh list!_ to my sor-row-ful lay, At-ten-tion give_ to my
(AB) (AG) F2 (ED) | E3 E F3 F | G3 A B2 (GA) |
w: song_ I_ pray, And_ when you've heard it all you'll say That_
B2 B c B A (GF) | E4 {GF} HE2 (EF) | G2 G G G A B c |
w: I'm "an un-for-tu-nate_ tai-lor." I_ once was as happy as a
d2 d B G3 D | D D D2 (DE) F G | A2 (AF) D3 E |
w: bird on a tree, My Sa-rah was all_ the_ world to_ me, But
G2 (GA) B2 B> e | (dB) A> G F2 E F | D2 d2 (BA) G F |
w: I'm cut_ out by a "son_ of the sea", She has left me here_ to be-
(E3 F) HE2 ||   "^Chorus." B,2 | E2 E E (EF) (GA) | B2 G2 E3 D |
w: wail_ her.    Oh! why did my Sa-_rah_ serve me so? No
D2 D D (DE) (FG) | (AB) A G F3 D | E E E E F F F F |
w: more will I stitch,_ no_ more_ will I sew, My thim-ble and my nee-dle to the
G3 A B2 (GA) | B2 B c (BA) G F | (E3 F) E2 x2 |]
w: winds I'll throw, And_ go and en-list_ for a sail-_or.

Click to play

To play or display ABC tunes, try concertina.net

11 Jun 10 - 03:37 PM (#2925669)
Subject: RE: lyr/tune: I'll Go Enlist For a Sailor
From: Steve Gardham

Tune is pretty much note for note 'Johnny Cope' IMHO.