A Maid of the Shore- Judkins (Oregon) pre1952
From: Folk Songs from Oregon
by Russell M. Harrison
Western Folklore, Vol. 11, No. 3, Oregon Number (Jul., 1952), pp. 174-184
Mrs. Judkins was born in Iowa and moved to Oregon in 1890. She attended school in Crow, Oregon, and in Springfield, Oregon. She learned some of her songs while going to school-both in the classroom and from friends who sang to each other for enjoyment. Both sides of her family were musical. Her mother's ancestors can be traced back through Illinois, New York, and the Netherlands. Her father's ancestors came from England and Scotland to Canada and thence to Illinois and Iowa before coming to Oregon. Many of her songs are typical of the English and eastern United States background of her ancestors.
A MAID OF THE SHORE- From Mrs. Clarice Judkins of Eugene, Oregon.
(The Captain's Lament)
This song may be found much the same in Karpeles' Folk Songs of Newfoundland, page 31, and entitled "The Sea Captain." The melody starts out much the same in the two versions but soon changes. Where major action occurs the words are quite similar.
Verses 11 and 12 of Child, 4, "Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight," found in Randolph's Ozark Folksongs, Volume I, page 197, are much like verses 3 and 4 in this version of "A Maid of the Shore."
Verse 11
She stroked him sae fast, the nearer he did creep.
(Aye, as the gowans grow gay)
Wi' a sma' charm she lulled him fast asleep.
(The first morning in May.)
Verse 12
Wi' his ain sword-belt sae fast as she ban him
(Aye, as the gowans grow gay.)
Wi' his ain dag-durk sae sair as she dang him.
(The first morning in May.)
Other versions of this song may be found in Mansfield's Ballads and Sea Songs of Newfoundland, page 63; and in Korson's Pennsylvania Songs and Legends, page 54.
1. Oh! There was a young maid-en en-tan--gled in love,
And the rea--son she could-not tell why --- Oh.
But the one on--ly way she could ease her sweet mind
Was to wan---der a--lone on the shore, oh, shore.
Just to wan----der a---lone on the shore.
2. A jolly sea captain he spied her one day
And the captain he gave her a stare, oh.
He invited her down to his cabin below
Saying, "Fare ye well sorrow and woe, oh woe."
Saying, "Fare ye well sorrow and woe."
3. Oh I'll sing you a song if you won't think it wrong.
All the boatmen did all at her stare oh.
And she sang it so neat, so sweet, so complete,
That she sang all the boatmen to sleep, oh sleep.
She just sang all the boatmen to sleep.
4. Then she took all their jewels and all of their gold,
And all of their costly ware oh.
And the captain's broad sword she used for an oar
And she paddled her way to the shore, oh shore.
She just paddled her way to the shore.
5. "Oh were you men drunk or were you asleep?"
The captain he cried in despair, oh.
She's outwitted the captain and all of his men
And once more she's a maid of the shore, oh shore.
Just a jolly free maid of the shore.