Sailor Boy- Mrs. curran (NL) 1929 Karpeles
[My title, replacing "Sweet William" which not found in this text, only "Willie" is found. From: Folk Songs from Newfoundland, by Karpeles, 1934. Published also with piano accompaniment.
R. Matteson 2017]
The Drowned Lover
43. SWEET WILLIAM
[Sailor Boy] sung by Mrs. Curran at Conception Harbour, 28th October 1929.
It's early, early all in the Spring,
My love roved out for to serve the King,
With the raging seas and the winds blowing high,
Which parted me from my sailor boy.
O father, father, build me a boat,
And it's on the ocean I'll go float,
And I'll hail the ships as they pass me by
Until I get news from my sailor boy.
She had not long been over the sea,
When a man-of-war ship she chanced to see.
O captain, captain, come tell me true,
Did my love Willie sail on board with you?
What kind of a lad is your Willie dear?
What kind of clothing did your Willie wear?
He wears a jacket of the royal blue,
And it's easily seen that his heart is true.
O the colour of amber is my love's hair,
His cherry cheeks sets my heart in snare,
His ruby lips so soft and fine,
It's often times he pressed them to mine.
O no, fair maid, he is not here,
Your Willie is drown-ed I greatly fear,
For the last green island as we passed by,
I lost four more and your sailor boy.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair
Just like some girl in deep despair.
From the captain's deck to the main top high
Let ye mourn black for my sailor boy.
She wrote a letter and she wrote it long,
And in the middle she wrote a song,
And every line she shed a tear,
And every verse she cries: Willie dear.
Come dig me my grave both wide and deep,
Place a marble tombstone to my head and feet,
And in the middle put a turtle dove
To let the world know that I died of love.