Sailor's Trade- Roseina Reber (UT) 1947 Hubbard
[From Ballads and Songs from Utah, Hubbard 1961
R. Matteson 2017]
The Sailor’s Trade is a Weary Life- sung by Roseina Reber of Santa Clara, on August 19, 1947.
A sailor's trade's a weary life
It robs fair maidens of my their delight
It causes them for to weep and mourn
A-waiting for the sailor to return.
Father, father build me a little boat,
That on the ocean I may float;
And every ship that I pass by,
I'll there inquire for my sweet sailor boy.
Captain captain, come tell me true
Is my sweet William among your crew?
Come to me quick and give me joy,
That I may find my sweet sailor boy.
Oh no madam he is not here
We lost him many a mile from here
A-rocking o'er and as we passed him by
Oh there we lost your sweet sailor boy.
She wrung her hands and tore her hair
As if a lady in despair
She rowed her boat against a rock
For this fair lady's heart was broke.
Give me a chair and sit me down
A pen and ink and I'll write a song
At the end of every word I will drop a tear
At the every line I'll cry: "Oh my dear!"
Dig me a grave both deep and long
A marble stone at my head and feet
Upon my breast a turtle dove
To let the wide world know I died for love.