My Sweet Sailor Boy- Hammontree (AR) 1890 Randolph E
[From Vance Randolph, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 1, British Ballads and Songs. Randolph reviews the various English and American texts, and notes that "Some very similar lines are found in "Captain, Oh Captain" as recorded phonographically by Vernon Dalhart." Only the first two verses of Dalhart's version are similar to tradition, the others are from an arranger.
Randolph's title for Sailor Boy (Sailor's Sweetheart) is vague and usually used for other similar but different ballads.
R. Matteson 2017]
F. [My Sweet Sailor Boy] A fragment recalled by Mr. Doney Hammontree, Fannington, Ark., Feb. 8, 1942. He learned it near Farmington about 1890. It is all that he can remember of a long piece called "My Sweet Sailor Boy," which was popular at the time.
Oh captain, oh captain, go bring me a chair,
A pen and ink to write it down,
At the end of ev'ry verse she dropped a t€ear;
At the end of ev'ry verse cried "oh my dear!"