> Eliza Carthy > Songs > The Poor and Young Single Sailor

The Poor and Young Single Sailor / A Fair Maid Walking

[ Roud 264 ; Laws N42 ; Ballad Index LN42 ; trad.]

Nancy Kerr sang The Poor and Young Single Sailor on her and Eliza Carthy's second album Shape of Scrape. She said in the record's sleeve notes:

A classic “Broken Token” song, sometimes called A Lady Fair or A Fair Maiden Walking. Two lovers part, breaking a ring between them as a token of their love. She naturally spends seven years pining, moping and generally preserving her honour until he returns having made his fortune and “tests” her fidelity. The subject of his honour is not broached. Collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1908 from a Mr Burridge, near Capel, Surrey.

It was also sung by John Roberts & Tony Barrand as A Fair Maid Walking on Heartoutbursts: English Folksongs collected by Percy Grainger. The record's sleeve notes said:

The “broken token” theme is well known, and many versions of this particular story line exist. [Percy] Grainger recorded this one in 1906 from Mrs. Thomson at Barrow-on-Humber. It appears in Lincolnshire Posy as The Brisk Young Sailor (who returned to wed his True Love).

And it was sung by Linda Adams accompanied by Jez Lowe on guitar and dulcimer as The Young and Single Sailor on the Fellside anthology A Selection from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. Joan Baez sang this as John Riley on her first album in 1960. (It might be interesting to know that Eliza Carthy was touring with her in 2000.) Other versions of John Riley were sung by Roger McGuinn with Judy Collins on his album Treasures from the Folk Den and by The Trugs on the Fellside anthology Voices in Harmony.

Hannah James sang The Young and Single Sailor in 2009 on her and Sam Sweeney's first duo CD, Catches & Glees. They also performed it in the same year at Shrewsbury Folk Festival:

Compare this to Lal Waterson singing The Welcome Sailor on her and Norma Waterson's LP and CD A True Hearted Girl and on the CD reissue of The Watersons' For Pence and Spicy Ale, and to The Dark-Eyed Sailor, sung by Steeleye Span on their first album, Hark! The Village Wait, and by June Tabor and the Oysterband on their album Freedom and Rain.

Lyrics

Nancy Kerr sings The Poor and Young Single Sailor	Linda Adams sings The Young and Single Sailor
A fair maid walking all in a garden A brisk young sailor she chanced to spy He stepped up to her thinking to view her Said he, “Fair maid, could you fancy I?”	A fair maid walked all in her garden. A brisk young sailor she chanced to spy. He stepped up to her, thinking to view her. Says he: “Fair maid, could you fancy me?”
“You seem to me like a man of honour, A man of honour you seem to be, How can you impose on a poor young woman Who is not fit your servant for to be?”	“Oh no, young man, you're a man of honour, A man of honour you seem to be. So don't impose on a poor young woman Who is scarce fitted your servant to be.”
“If you are not fitted to be my servant Then still I have great regard for thee. I'll marry you and make you a lady And you'll have servants to wait on thee.”	“If you tell me you're a poor young woman, The more regard I shall have for you. So come with me and I'll make you happy, And you'll have servants for to wait on you.”
“But I have a true lover of my own, sir, For seven years he's been on the sea And seven years I have waited for him. If he's alive, he'll be true to me”	“Oh no, young man, I have a sweetheart, And seven long years he's away from me, And seven more I will wait for him, And if he's alive he will return to me.”
	“Oh, seven years makes an alteration. Perhaps he's drowned and is now at rest.” “Then no other man shall ever join me, For he's the darling boy that I love best.”
He put his hand all in his bosom, His fingers being both long and small, Saying, “Here's a ring that was broke between us.” And when she sees it then down she falls.	He put his hand all in his pocket, His fingers being both long and small, Saying: “Here's the ring, love, we broke between us.” Soon as she saw it, then she down did fall.
He took her up all in his arms, Giving her kisses one two and three. Said, “I am the poor and young single sailor Who has returned for to marry thee.”	He took her close all in his arms, He gave her kisses by one, two, three, Saying: “I'm your young and single sailor, That has come home for to marry thee.”

Acknowledgements

The words are from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, eds Ralph Vaughan Williams & A.L. Lloyd, Penguin, 1959. Linda Adams' variations transcribed by Reinhard Zierke. Thanks to Garry Gillard for the Nancy Kerr transcription and the Joan Baez remark.