> Martin Carthy > Songs > Brass Monkey: Flame of Fire

A Sailor By My Right / Flame of Fire

[ Roud 568 ; Laws P34 ; Ballad Index LP34 ; trad.]

Martin Carthy sang Flame of Fire in 2004 on Brass Monkey's fifth album, Flame of Fire. He commented in the record's sleeve notes:

I've changed a couple of details in Flame of Fire and am happy to have done so. I thought it extremely unfair that one of the beguiled women has to come back from Hell with Imps to get at her betrayer so I substituted Heaven and Angels who do the same. Then they send him to hell. The song comes from Maud Karpeles' two-volume edition of Cecil Sharp's songs.

Lyrics

I am a sailor by my right,
On the seas I took great delight.
Of two girls I did recall
And both of them I got with child.

I promised I would be true to both,
Promised them on my solemn oath.
One of them became my wife
And the other took her own sweet life.

For she hanged herself all on a tree.
Two men out hunting her did see,
Ran with speed and they cut her down
And on her body a note they found.

“If on the earth just let me lie.
Everyone that do pass by,
Everyone a warning take
And see what folly this young man made.”

“While he's on earth will I be just,
While he's on earth shall he take no rest.”
What she said played the young man's scorn
That on the sea he was forced to go.

One day he stood on the main mast high,
A little boat he chanced to spy.
Saw his true love draw to the side,
Two angel babies all by her side.

His true love all on the deck did stand,
Enquiring for this wicked man.
In some little town this young man died
And in that town his body lied.

“Oh captain, captain, can you say so,
For he is down in the hold below.
And if you stand in his defense,
Here is the spirit will take you hence.”

Down from the deck then the captain goes,
Brought up this young man to face his foes.
She fixed her eyes on him so grim,
It made him tremble in every limb.

“I am the spirit sent for you,
You deceived me once, but I have you now.”
And to protect both ship and men,
Into her boat they all forced him then.

Into her boat they all forced him then
All to protect both ship and men.
The boat sank in a flame of fire,
It caused the sailors all to admire.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke.