The Maid on the Shore O- Walters (NL) 1958
[The same ballad was collected from Mrs. Thomas (Annie) Walters of Rocky Harbour, NL in 1929 by Greenlief. See also that version]
Notes by Peacock: Variant of British broadside ballads, The Maid On The Shore, The Fair Maid By The Sea Shore, and The Sea Captain [Laws K27] American Balladry From British Broadsides (G. Malcolm Laws, 1957). This fo'c's'le (forecastle) shanty or forebitter was first published as an 1859 entry in the journal from the whaling schooner, Ocean Rover, out of Nantucket, Massachusetts
This variant was collected in 1958 from Mrs. Thomas (Annie) Walters of Rocky Harbour, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.296-297, by The National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Kenneth Peacock noted that this fine old sea ballad may be regarded as a marine variant of Bromfield Hill (Child 43), one of the old pastourelles in which clever maidens managed to protect their innocence by various stratagems. Formerly they possessed many magical powers, but the only supernatural gift left to the maid on the shore is her ability to sing captain and sailors to sleep. Peacock also noted that Freeman Bennett of St. Paul's sang a six-verse version very similar to this. The only improvement in the wording would be the first line of verse seven:
"Oh were my men drunk, or were my men mad?"
and the corresponding answer at the beginning of verse eight.
The Maid On The Shore O- Mrs. Thomas (Annie) Walters of Rocky Harbour, NL, by Kenneth Peacock
It was of a young maiden who lived all alone,
She lived all alone on the shore-o;
There was nothing she could find for to comfort her mind
But to roam all alone on the shore, shore, shore,
But to roam all alone on the shore.
It was of a young captain who sailed the salt sea,
Let the winds blow high or blow low-o;
"I will die, I will die," this young captain did cry,
"If I can't get that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
If I can't get that maid from the shore.
"I have lots of silver, I have lots of gold,
I have lots of costly ware-o;
I'll divide, I'll divide with my jolly ship's crew
If they'll row me that maid from the shore, shore, shore,
If they'll row me that maid from the shore."
After long persuadance they got her on board,
Let the winds blow high or blow low-o;
Where he placed her a chair in his cabin below.
"Here's adieu to all sorrow and care, care, care,
Here's adieu to all sorrow and care."
She sot herself down in his cabin below,
Let the winds blow high or blow low-o;
Where she sang sweet, so neat and complete,
She sang captain and sailors asleep, sleep, sleep,
She sang captain and sailors asleep.
She robbed him of silver, she robbed him of gold,
She robbed him of costly ware-o;
And she stole his broadsword instead of an oar,
And she paddled her way to the shore, shore, shore,
And she paddled away to the shore.
"My men must been crazy, my men must been mad,
My men must been deep in despair-o,
For to let her go 'way with her beauty so gay,
And to paddle her way to the shore, shore, shore,
And to paddle her way to the shore."
"Your men was not crazy, your men was not mad,
Your men was not deep in despair-o;
I deluded your sailors as well as yourself,
I'm a maiden again on the shore, shore, shore,
I'm a maiden again on the shore."