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> Sandy Denny > Songs > A Sailor's Life

A Sailor's Life

[Trad.]

This song was collected by W.P. Merrick in 1899 from Henry Hills of Lodsworth, Sussex and published in The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. In 1960, A.L. Lloyd recorded it for the album A Selection from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. As all tracks from this LP it was reissued in 2003 on the CD England & Her Traditional Songs. Lloyd wrote in the album's sleeve notes:

A song as touching and innocent as the wood engravings that broadside printers used to put at the head of ballad sheets. It is known to sundry tunes all over the British Isles and in America (a Wisconsin set, called The Pinery Boy, transforms the sailor into a lumberjack). Most versions end with the girl ordering her own funeral, and directing that a marble dove be set over her grave, but in fact this motif belongs more properly to the song Died for Love, and Mr Henry Hills, of Lodsworth, Sussex, who sang our version to W.P. Merrick in 1899, would have none of it.

It was also recorded by Martin Carthy in 1966 for his Second Album. He said in the album's sleeve notes:

Often adapted to fit other occupations this is one of a group of songs which includes Early Early All in the Spring and the American song on the same theme, Sailor on the Deep Blue Sea. It was published in various broadsides in the 18th century, but often became confused with Died for Love. It is printed in the The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs.

A Sailor's Life is one of Sandy's folk club songs which she added to Fairport Convention's repertoire, and it proved to be the turning point of Fairport's history from earlier contemporary Americana to English songs. An early live studio recording turned up on Richard Thompson's 3CD set, Watching the Dark. This was apparently transcribed from an acetate recording which everyone had forgotten about. Another early version, a life recording from the beginning of 1969, was finally made available in 2002 on the anthology Fairport unConventionAl. The first officially released version on Unhalfbricking added Dave Swarbrick on violin, showing what would become of Fairport in the following years. This track was also reissued on The History of Fairport Convention, on Fairport's double CD compilation Meet on the Ledge: The Classic Years 1967-1975, in 2004 on the 5CD Fledg'ling Sandy Denny anthology A Boxful of Treasures, and in 2005 on the Island anthology Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal.

A version recorded at Cropredy 1987 was released on the video It All Comes 'Round Again. The line up on this track is Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Mattacks, Ric Sanders, Martin Allcock and June Tabor (vocals).

This song was also covered by Vikki Clayton on her Sandy Denny tribute album, It Suits Me Well.

Compare this to John Tams singing on The Albion Band's version of A Sailor's Life on the anthology The Guv'nor Vol 1, to Mike Waterson singing Sweet William on the Watersons anthology Mighty River of Song, and to Norma Waterson singing Willie the Bold Sailor Boy and Cathie O'Sullivan singing The Lost Sailor, both on the Fellside anthology Song Links - A Celebration of English Traditional Songs and their Australian Variants.

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings	Martin Carthy sings
A sailor's life is a merry life. They rob young girls of their hearts' delight, Leaving them behind to sigh and mourn, They never know when they will return.	A sailor's life is a merry life. They robs young girls of their hearts' delight, Leaving them behind for to weep and mourn, They never know when they will return.
“Here's four-and-twenty all in a row, My sweetheart cuts the brightest show. He's proper, tall, genteel withal, And if I don't have him,” she said, “ I'll have none at all.”	“Oh there's four-and-twenty all in a row, My sweetheart cuts the finest show. He's proper, tall, genteel withal, If I don't have him I'll have none at all.”
“Oh father, fetch me a little boat, That I might on the ocean float. And every Queen's ship that we pass by We'll make enquire for my sailor boy.”	“Oh father, build me a bonny boat, That on the wide ocean I may float. And every Queen's ship that we pass by There I'll enquire for my sailor boy.”
We hadn't sailed long upon the deep Before a Queen's we chanced to meet. “You sailors all, come tell me true, Does my sweet William sail among your crew?”	Now they had not sailed long upon the deep Before the Queen's ship they chanced to meet. “You sailors all, pray tell me true, Does my sweet William sail among your crew?”
“Oh no, fair lady, he isn't here, For he is drownded, we greatly fear. On yon green island as we passed by, There we lost sight of your sailor boy.”	“Oh no, fair maid, he is not here, For he's been drownded, we greatly fear. On yon green island as we passed by, There we lost sight of your sailor boy.”
She wrung her hands and she tore her hair Much like a woman in great despair. Her little boat 'gainst a rock did run. “How can I live now my William is gone?”	Now she wrung her hands and she tore her hair Much like a damsel in great despair. Her little boat 'gainst a rock did run. “How can I live now my William is gone?”

Sandy Denny sings
A sailor's life, it is a merry life. He robs young girls of their hearts' delight. Leaving them behind to weep and mourn, They never know when they will return.
“Well, there's four and twenty all in a row, My true love he makes the finest show. He's proper tall, genteel and all, And if I don't have him, I'll have none at all.”
“Oh father, build for me a bonny boat, That on the wide ocean I may float. And every Queen's ship that we pass by There I'll enquire for my sailor boy.”
Well, they had not sailed long on the deep When a Queen's ship they chanced to meet. “You sailors all, pray tell me true, Does my sweet William sail among your crew?”
“Oh no, fair maiden, he is not here. For he's been drownded we greatly fear. On yon green island as we passed it by, There we lost sight of your sailor boy.”
Well, she wrung her hands and she tore her hair. She was like a young girl in great despair. And her little boat against a rock did run. “How can I live now my sweet William is gone?”

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard and Reinhard Zierke. Thanks to Wolfgang Hell for corrections.

Reinhard Zierke, zierke@informatik.uni-hamburg.de
Last updated Sun Mar 12, 2006