Sweet William- Viv Legg (N. Corn) c.2000 REC
[From: the recording VT153CD, Romany Roots 'Cornish Family songs’ 2001. Recording John Howson with Mike Yates. Their notes and transcription follow,
R. Matteson 2017]
A highly popular song that goes under numerous titles, including Father, Father Build Me a Boat, Captain, Captain Tell me True, My Boy Willie, My Sailor Lad, The Sailor Boy, A Sailor's Life and The Sailor's Trade is a Weary Life. It would seem to have started life at the end of the 18th century (although at least one version mentions the bombardment of Cartagena, Colombia, during Admiral Vernon's 1740 expedition, so it may be earlier) and was printed in London at the beginning of the 19th century by both Pitts and Evans. Other available recordings include those by Norman Perks (Avon) on Veteran VTC5CD and Maggy Murphy (Fermanagh) on Veteran VT134CD.
Vivienne Legg continues one of the West country’s strongest family singing traditions. Hers is a Romany family who hawked haberdashery around the lanes of north Cornwall. Her aunts, Charlotte and Betsy Renals had a large repertoire of traditional and music hall songs as does her mother Sophie Legg (see VT119CD). In recent years whilst living with Viv, Sophie has encouraged Viv to follow in her brother Vic’s footsteps (see VT129CD) and keep their family singing tradition alive. These recordings show, yet again, what a vibrant tradition that is.
Sweet William- sung by Viv Legg
"Father, father, bring a boat, out on the sea that I might float.
And watch those ships as they sail by and find my lovely sailor boy."
"What like is he, your sweet William fair, and what's the clothes that he do wear?"
“He wears a coat of navy blue. You'll find him from his heart so true."
"But every sailor wears the blue and every sailor’s heart is true.
So tell me maiden, sweet and kind, what like is he, this man you find?"
"He's tall and handsome, brave and free, and on his chin for all to see,
A dimple shows whene’er he smiles, for my poor heart to beguile."
"Maiden, maiden, sad to say, your William died on yesterday,
On yon green isle as we passed by, we gently laid your sailor boy."
Dig her grave both wide and deep, lay tombstones at her head and feet,
And on her grave Sweet William grow, to show she loved her William so.