English & Other Versions 76. Sweet William's Ghost
CONTENTS:
Sweet William's Ghost- Ramsay 1740; Child A
[English texts incomplete- upcoming]
Illustration from a broadside- Harding B 5(1)
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Below is some information and lyrics for Willy O, an Irish variant of Sweet William's Ghost. According to Malcolm Douglas: "Bay of Biscay (more usually Willy O) is a (probably 19th century) re-write of Sweet William's Ghost, and as such is generally categorised under Child 77 (Roud 50). It was particularly popular in Ireland, where it appeared on a number of broadsides."
WILLY O (Variant of Sweet William's Ghost) Taken from Bodleian Ballads, Ballads Catalogue, Firth c12(293) and 2806 c15(136) , Dublin, 1867.
Come all you young maidens that's fair and handsome,
While in vain your tears do flow.
For my love I'm daily weeping
He is my charming Willy O.
My love he's gone on board of the Tender,
Where to find him I do not know,
May kind Providence still protect him,
And send me back my Willy O.
Had I the gold of the West Indies,
Or all the silver in Mexico,
I would give it all to the Queen of England,
If she would grant me my Willy O.
As Mary lay sleeping, her true love came creeping
To her bed-chamber door so slow,
Saying rise up, lovely Mary,
For I am your own true Willy O.
Mary rose up and put on her clothes,
To her chamber door did go,
It's there she found her own true love
And his face as white as snow.
Willy dear where is the blushes
That you had some time ago.
O Mary dear the clay has changed them,
For I am the ghost of your Willy O.
Those seven long years I am daily writing
To the Bay of Biscay O,
But cruel death has sent me no answer,
From my charming Willy O.
They spent the night in deep discoursing
Concerning their courtship sometime ago.
They kissed, shook hands with sorrowful parting,
Just as the cocks began to crow.
Although my body lies in the West Indies
My ghost shall guard you to and fro.
So farewell Jewel since we are for parting
Since I'm no more your Willy O.
When she saw him disappearing,
Down her cheeks the tears did flow.
Mary dear, sweetheart and darling,
Weep no more for your Willy O.
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From: Hours at Home, Volume 11 edited by James Manning Sherwood 1870
And here it is—awkward, and tender, and uncanny—just as the poor "swate little cratur" from the County Meath sang it years ago in the town of Ardee. How we should like to hear the whole of her singular history; to know what strange tendency of her nature, or what sad home experience, led her to go forth a wanderer in such miserable oompanionship! And we wonder whether that plaintive contralto is still heard at the fairs and markets of Louth:
Come all you maids, both fair and handsome,
Whilst In vain your tears do flow;
'Til all for the sake of a young man.
He's my charming Willy—O.
Now he's going on board the tender—
Where to find him I don't know;
May kind Providence be his Protector
And grant to me my Willy—O.
As Mary lay sleeping, her true love came creeping
To her bed-chamber door so slow,
Saying, "Rise, Oh rise up, my charming Mary,
For I'm your own dearest Willy—O."
Mary rose, put on her clothes,
To her bed-chamber door did go;
There she found her true love standing,
And his face as white as snow.
"O Willy, dearest Willy, where are the blushes
That you wore some time ago."
"O Mary dear, the cold clay has changed them,
For I'm but the ghost of your Willy—O!"
"This seven long years I'm daily writing
To the Bay of Biscay—O,
Cruel death no answer sent
From yon, my charming Willy—O."
There they stood In deep discoursing
Concerning their courtship, some time ago;
They kissed, shook hands with a sorrowful parting,
Just as the cocks they began to crow.
"Although my body lies in the East Indies,
My ghost shall guard thee to and fro;
And so, my darling, since we're for parting,
I am no more your Willy—O."
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SWEET WILLIAM'S GHOST [B]
Flanders Ancient Ballads
B. Copied, literatim et punctatim by H.H. F. from a compilation of 400 pages of numbered issues ol The Charms of
Melody: or Siren Medley, printed by J-b J. Carrich, Bachelor's walk", Dublin. The watermark on the title page reads
GREAT NEWTON, with the date 1818. Copies are available at the Boston Athenaeum; the John Hoy Library at
Brown Uniuersity (60 pages, dated 1824, beginning with volume 1, page 1); and at the Library of Congress.
H. H. F., Collector
August 1, 1958
Margaret and Willy.
An Old Scotch BaIIad
There came a ghost to Marg'ret's door,
With many a grievous groan,
And ay he twirled at the pin,
But anfwer made fhe none.
"Is that my father Philip?
"Or is't my brother John?
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Willy O!
DESCRIPTION: Willy sails to the Bay of Biscay. Seven years later, he came to the girl's door. He says he is a ghost. The cock crows. He says his ghost will guard her. As he disappears he tells her "Weep no more for your Willy O"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (GreigDuncan2); c.1867 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.15(136))
LONG DESCRIPTION: Seven years ago Willy went "on board the tender" and sailed to the Bay of Biscay. He does not answer Mary's letters. One night he comes to her bed-chamber door. She asks why he is so pale. He says the clay has changed his blushes. They discuss their old courtship. The cock crows. He says his ghost will guard her though his body lies in the West Indies. As he disappears he tells her "Weep no more for your Willy O"
KEYWORDS: ghost separation death nightvisit love bird
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber)) Canada(Mar) Ireland
REFERENCES (4 citations):
GreigDuncan2 338, "Willie O" (1 text)
Creighton-Maritime, pp. 113-114, "Willie O" (2 texts, 1 tune)
McBride 6, "The Bay of Biscay O" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morton-Maguire 3, pp. 5,100,155-156, "Willie's Ghost" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Roud #22567
RECORDINGS:
Bill Cassidy, "Biscayo" (on IRTravellers01)
Robert Cinnamond, "Ghost of Willie-O" (on IRRCinnamond02)
Nora Cleary, "Willie-O" (on Voice03)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.15(136), "Willy O!" ("Come all you young maids that's fair handsome"), W. Birmingham (Dublin), c.1867; also Harding B 19(86), Firth c.12(293), "Willy O!"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Rise Up Quickly and Let Me In (The Ghostly Lover)" (theme)
NOTES: Broadside Bodleian 2806 c.15(136) is the basis for the description.
Jim Carroll's notes to Bill Cassidy's "Biscayo" on "From Puck to Appleby: Songs of Irish Travellers in England," Musical Traditions Records MTCD325-6 (2003) say that Hugh Shields believes the main source of the "Willy O" broadside is "Sweet William's Ghost" (Child 77). I wonder if Shields meant that; except for the night-visiting ghost and the bird singing in Child 77.F or the moorcock announcing day in Paddy Tunney's "Lady Margaret" ("The Voice of the People, Vol 3: O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green," Topic TSCD 653 (1998)), I don't find a connection.
The broadside version of "Willy O!" has distinguishing lines that include
As Mary lay sleeping, her true love came creeping....
They spent that night in deep discoursing,
Concerning their courtship sometime ago....
John Reilly's "Adieu Unto All True Lovers" ("Rise Up Quickly and Let Me In") and Cecilia Costello's "The Grey Cock": Vaughan Williams/Lloyd, pp. 52-53, "The Grey Cock, or The Lover's Ghost" adds this verse from the broadside.
O Willy dear where is the blushes,
That you had some time ago,
Mary dear the clay has changed them,
For I am the ghost of your Willy O.
Ewan MacColl's version of Cecilia Costello's "The Grey Cock" on Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, "The Grey Cock" (on ENMacCollSeeger02) adds this verse from the broadside:
When she saw him disappearing,
Down her cheeks the tears did flow
Mary dear, sweetheart and darling
Weep no more for your Willy O. - BS