Stow Brow / The Drowned Lover / The Drowned Sailor

[ Roud 185 ; Laws K18 ; Ballad Index LK18 ; trad.]

Sam Larner sang The Drowned Lover, in a recording by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, on his 1961 Folkways album Now Is the Time for Fishing.

Lal Waterson relocated the story to Stow Brow when she sang this song in 1966 on the Watersons' LP A Yorkshire Garland. Like most of the tracks from this LP, it was re-released in 1994 on the CD Early Days. It was also included in 2004 on the Watersons' 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song. A.L. Lloyd commented in the original album's sleeve notes:

In 1671 a lament for a drowned lover, Captain Digby, was published as a broadside and it spread about England and also washed over to America (the renowned Mrs. Texas Gladden popularised a version of it, beginning “As I was a-walking down by the sea-shore, the wind it did whistle and the waters did roar”). During the nineteenth century, the stage comedian Sam Cowell made a burlesque of it, and it eventually became a kind of model—serious once again—for a number of “drowned lover” ballads. The one sung here is more often known as Scarborough Sands, and it has been found in places as widely apart as Southampton and Aberdeen, where Robin Hood's Bay becomes Reuben Bay in the song, though sets of the song in distant North Carolina preserved the Yorkshire locale undistorted. The ballad is just about a hundred years old. Frank Kidson had a version from Flamborough, that he called The Drowned Sailor. Stow Brow is just to the south of Robin Hood's Bay.

The above mentioned The Drowned Sailor from Frank Kidson's Traditional Tunes (Oxford, 1891) is very similar to the Watersons' Stow Brow. Rachael McShane sang a somewhat different The Drowned Sailor in 2009 on her CD No Man's Fool.

Lyrics

Sam Larner sings The Drowned Lover

'Twas in Scarborough fair town a young damsel did dwell,
She loved a young sailor, she loved him full well.
When they were about to marry her this was this young man's lot:
Instead of a married life a watery grave he got.

Now as we were got sailing through Robin Hood's Bay,
The wind came down all on us and dismal was the day.
The wind came down all on us and the seas like lions roared,
Which tossed these poor sailors all on the lee shore.

Now as we were got swimming, yes, swimming for our lives,
Some of them had sweethearts and some of them had wives.
And it was about our landing, it worked to be this young man's lot,
For instead of a-marrying her a watery grave he got.

Now as soon as this fair maid these tidings did hear
She pulled off her ringlets, she tored off her hair,
Crying, “Come, all you cruel billows, come, toss my love on shore
So that I may behold his sweet features once more.”

Now as she was got walking down by the sea side
She met a pretty sailor washed up all by the tide,
And when she saw him she immediately did stand,
For she knew it was her own true love by the marks on his right hand.

“And now that I have found my true love I do adore,
I'll kiss him, I'll embrace him ten thousand times o'er,
I'd be happy and contented to lay down by his side.”
And the very next day morning this pretty fair maid died.

Now in Scarborough fair town these two couple do lay,
And written on their tombstone in full memory,
Crying, “Come, all you loyal lovers, this way as you pass by,
Think of those unfortunate couple who now here do lay.”

Lal Waterson sings Stow Brow

In Stow Brow, in Stow Brow a fair maid did dwell,
She loved an handsome sailor lad and he loved her as well.
He promised for to marry her when back he did return
But bad luck and cruel hardship upon this couple fell.

As they were a-sailing, a storm did arise;
The sun was overshaded and dismal was the sight.
The wind it blew an hurricane which made the billows roar
And it tossed these poor sailors all on the rocky shore.

Now some of them was single men and some of them had wives
And all of these poor sailors was a-struggling for their lives;
But this unfortunate young man who happened to be there,
And instead of getting married he got a watery grave.

Now from Stow Brow, from Stow Brow to Robin Hood's Bay
She spied the stranded sailor all on the sands he lay.
She boldly plucked up to him and amazed she did stand
For she saw it was her own true love by the marks on his right hand.

She kissed him, caressed him ten thousand times o'er,
Crying, “All these cruel billows have tossed my love on shore!”
How happy and contented she lay down by his side,
And a few more minutes afterwards, this fair young maiden died.

Now in Robin Hood's Bay churchyard this couple they do lay
And for a memorandum a stone is put there.
And all of you young couples that do pass by there
I'd have you all to shed a tear for the couple that lie there.

Rachael McShane sings The Drowned Sailor

In London's fair city a damsel did dwell,
She was courted by a sailor and he loved her well.
And he promised for to marry her if he ever did return,
But mark what hard fortune all on him did stand.

As he was a-sailing the ocean so brave
His ship it was wrecked by the wind and the waves.
The storm was raging and the billows loud did roar
Which tossed this poor sailor all on the sea shore.

As she was a-walking down by the sea strand
She saw her drowned sailor lie dead on the ground.
And when she came near him the sight made her stand
She knew 'twas her true love by the marks on his hand.

She kissed him, she hugged him, she called him her dear,
Ten thousand times over, she kissed him there,
Saying, “I'm very well contended to lie by your side
Instead of being married in my grave here I'll lie.”

As she was a-walking down by the sea side
And wringing of her tender hands so bitterly did cry,
Saying, “My joys are all ended, my sorrows are all fled.”
In a few moments after this young maid lay dead.

In Robin Hood's churchyard this couple was laid
And for a memorandum a tombstone was laid.
Come all you constant lovers that here do pass by,
This unfortunate couple, how happy they lie.

Acknowledgements

Transcribed from the singing of Lal Waterson by Garry Gillard. Thanks to Wolfgang Hell for a correction—or two.