Sally Dover- Tillett (NC) 1922 Brown/Chappell
[From Brown Collection Vol. 4 (2nd Stanza only) and Chappell's Folk Songs of Roanoke and Abermerle; 1939. This is one of the oddest titles I've seen. It may have been given by Tillett but neither Brown or Chappell say anything. "Sailor From Dover" should be the correct title (I didn't correct it because it may have been Tillett's title) and it's rare that an American title is thus given. "Pretty Sally" also works- but "Sally Dover"!!!!
R. Matteson Jr. 2014]
Brown Collection:
'Sally Dover.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke Island, December 29, 1922. Other titles given are 'Sally,' 'Fair Sally,' and 'Brown Girl' The tune of this version is almost identical with that of 'The Sheffield Apprentice' (120B) by the same singer. For similar texts cf. JAFL xxviii (1914). 67-76 (stanza 3), and SharpK 11 210, No. 155 (stanza 2). This recording was made two years prior to that printed in FSRA 74-5 by the same singer. The second stanza of the latter is that given here. The word "aching" may possibly be incorrect, as the recording is very poor. [see text by Chappell below]
For melodic relationship cf. **FSRA 74-5. Scale: Irrational. Tonal Center: e-flat. Structure: abb1a1 (4,4,4,4).
Sally Dover- (Tillett, 1924, 1935) Collected Chappell
There was a young sailor, from Dover he came,
He courted pretty Sally, pretty Sally by name.
And she was so lofty her portion so high,
That on a poor young sailor she scarce would cast an eye.
O Sally love, O Sally love, O Sally love, said he,
I fear, my dearest Sally, that you are a-hating of me.
Unless that your hatred should turn to love,
And. then your false heart, it would my ruin prove.
O William, dearest William, my hatred, is not to you,
Nor to any other man, [1]
But to say that I love you it is more than I can;
To say that I love you, it is a thing unjust,
For I never shall get married until I am forced.
So several long weeks was over and passed
When this pretty maid fell sick at last;
Now tangled in with love and she could not tell for why,
She sent off for this sailor whom once she did deny.
O Sally love, O Sally love, O Sally love, says he,
I guess I am the doctor can cure give to thee.
O yes, you are the doctor, you can kill or you can cure,
For the pain that I feel for you, love, is hard to endure.
O Sally, where does your pain lie? Does it lie in your heel?
O Sally, where does your pain lie? Does it lie in your head?
O no, my dearest William, I cannot take my rest
For the pain that I feel for you, love, lies into my breast.
O Sally love, O Sally love, O Sally love, said he,
Have you forgot the time when you first slighted me?
When first you slighted me, my love, you treated me with scorn,
And. now, my dearest Sally, the same I will return.
O William, my dearest William, forget and forgive
And grant me a little longer time for to live.
O no, my dearest Sally, while I have breath to draw
I will dance on your tomb, my love, while you lie down below.
She pulled off her rings by one, by two, by three:
Take these, dearest William, in remembrance of me,
In remembrance of me, my love, when I am dead and gone,
And. perhaps you'll feel sorry for what you have done'
Farewell, my father, and farewell, my mother,
Farewell, my sister, and farewell, my brother;
Farewell, false-hearted William, forever and adieu,
Five thousand times over my folly I rue.
1. Line 2 should be on the first line to make a quatrain.