Come, Father, Build Me a Boat- Scamp (Kent) 1954
[From a recording by Peter Kennedy and Maud Karpeles. The informant's introduction follows. The last three lines of stanza 3 are from a different song and provide an unusual ending. Scamp was a gypsy singer and step-brother of Phoebe Smith whose 7 stanza version is considerably different.
R. Matteson 2017]
These songs that I'm singing to you is true. They were handed down-- handed down from my great-grandfather to his children-- right down to my father to us, and I know they are true; that is for why I am a singing them. The song that I'm a-going to tell you now, it happened about a young lady and a sailor.
Come, Father, Build Me a Boat- Sung by Charles Scamp of Chartham Hatch, Canterbury, Kent on January 15, 1954 as recorded by Peter Kennedy and Maud Karpeles.
1. Come, father build me a boat,
Out on the ocean I will float,
To watch those King's ships as they sail by,
Where I may enquire for my sailor boy.
2. She has not rowed but a mile or two,
Before that King's ship she chanced to see,
"Brother sailor, tell me true,
Is my Willie on board with you?"
The last green island that I sailed by,
That's where I lost sights of your sailor boy."
3. Come draw me a chair; let me sit down,
I've oftimes thought that your love was mine,
"Dearest jewel if you say so,
And around he country we both shall go."
4. Oh come father, come father build me a boat,
All on the ocean I will float.