> Martin Carthy > Songs > Brass Monkey: Riding Down to Portsmouth
> June Tabor > Songs > Riding Down to Portsmouth

Riding Down to Portsmouth

[ Roud 1534 ; Ballad Index RcRdDTPo ; trad.]

John Kirkpatrick sang Riding Down to Portsmouth on Brass Monkey's 1986 album See How It Runs. This LP was re-released in 1993 as second half of the CD The Complete Brass Monkey. The original album's sleeve notes commented:

Based on Tom Willett's performance on the much-loved LP of the Willett Family's songs, The Roving Journeymen (Topic 12T84, 1962). Words supplemented from other versions.

Riding Down to Portsmouth was also sung by John Roberts & Tony Barrand on Heartoutbursts: English Folksongs collected by Percy Grainger and by Coope Boyes & Simpson on their album Triple Echo: Songs collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams, George Butterworth and Percy Grainger. June Tabor also sang this unaccompanied on her and Martin Simpson's LP A Cut Above.

Lyrics

Brass Monkey sing Riding Down to Portsmouth

Oh, as I was a-riding along in the height of my glory
Oh, as I was a-riding along come hear my sad story
A fair and handsome maiden I did see
And I asked her if she d come along with me
Some pleasure and some pastime to see
As we're riding down to Portsmouth

Oh, sailor, if I come along with you, oh, it's I must be carried
Oh, sailor, if I come along with you, oh, it's I must be married
So it's off we went together straightway
And she rolled all in my arms until next day
But she left me all the reckonings to pay
As we're riding down to Portsmouth

Next morning when the lady she awoke, well, she found the sailor snoring
Next morning, well, the lady up and spoke, oh, he'll pay for his whoring
Well, his money, what he's not spent on wine
Oh, the rest of it, it surely shall be mine
And his gold watch, well, I'll take that too besides
As we're riding down to Portsmouth

Saying, damn me, to myself, oh, the lady's gone missing
Saying, damn me, to myself, oh, I've paid for my kissing
Well, she's robbed me of my gold watch and purse
And she gave me what was ten times worse
And don't you think that I'm under a curse
As we're riding down to Portsmouth

Oh, landlord, tell me what there is to pay, that I might be knowing
Oh, landlord, tell me what there is to pay, that I might be a-going
Well, my horse I will leave her all in pawn
Until from the seas I do return
And all gallus girls I will shun
And I'll ride no more to Portsmouth

June Tabor sings Riding Down to Portsmouth

As I was a-riding along in the height of my glory,
As I was a-riding along shall I tell you my story:
Oh I fell in love with a fair pretty maid
And I asked her for to come along with me
To see some pleasures and some fine company
Oh, as we was on the way up to Portsmouth.

She said, young man, if I come along with you, oh, it's I must be carried,
She said, young man, if I come along with you, oh, it's I must be married.
Oh we lay all night in the balmous(?) barn
And she robbed me of my gold watch and my purse
And she gave to me ten times what it was worth
Oh, as I was on me way up to Portsmouth

I says, damn, oh damn it to myself, and I paid for my learnin',
I says, damn, oh damn it to myself, and I paid for my teachings.
Now my old horse I must put him right in pawn
And it's back unto the sea I must return.
Oh, don't you think I laid(?) all underneath a curse
Oh, as I was on my way up to Portsmouth.

Acknowledgements

Copied from the See How It Runs LP sleeve notes by Garry Gillard, thanks to Wolfgang Hell. I tried to transcribe June Tabor's version too but it is very hard to understand and probably contains some errors. There is some discussion in this Mudcat Café thread.