I Have No One To Love Me (But the Sailor in the Deep Blue Sea) Carter Family (VA) 1928
[From Carter Family recordings; BVE recording 45030 on May 10, 1928; also Victor recording V40036 in 1929 and Bluebird recording B5356 in 1934.
The Carter Family recordings 1928-1934 are the probable source of other recordings by Asa Martin and Luke Howard before 1940. The title "I have No One to Love Me (But the Sailor in the Deep Blue Sea)" is unusually long and taken from the last two lines of the Carter Family's third verse.
Only stanza 4 can be considered to be directly from the "Sailor Boy" tradition. The "deep blue sea" core stanzas from the Carters have entered tradition and become the inspiration for later versions which form a new group of "deep blue sea" variants. Recordings with nearly identical lyrics which followed include Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Obray Ramsey, New Lost City Ramblers and Flatt and Scruggs.
This text was collected by A.P. Carter and arranged by Carters.
R. Matteson 2017]
I Have No One To Love Me (But the Sailor in the Deep Blue Sea)- Carter Family of Virginia, recorded first in 1928.
1. It was on last Sunday evening
just about the hour of three,
when my darling started to leave me,
to sail on the deep blue sea.
2. He promised to write a letter,
he promised to write to me,
and I haven't heard from my darling,
who sails on the deep blue sea.
3. My mother is dead and buried,
My papa’s forsaken me,
And I have no one to love me,
but the sailor on the deep blue sea.
4. "Oh, captain, can you tell me,
can you tell me where he may be?"
"Oh yes, my little maiden,
he’s drownded in the deep blue sea."
5. Farewell to friends and relations,
This is the last you'll see of me,
I'm going to end my troubles
by drowning in the deep blue sea.