The Turkish Revoloo- Smith (NC) c1885 Brown A and Brown B
[This is difficult to fathom (bad word to use for a sea song). The title (See Brown B) as given by the informant Thomas Smith is "The Golden Willow Tree." How it became The Turkish Revoloo, is unclear (perhaps Smith retitled when he sent it to Greer). The handwritten MS can be viewed in three pages in the I.G. Greer Collection online. Here's what Smith says (page 1) in a letter:
The Golden Willow Tree was learned by me when a small boy mainly through the singing of an Geo[rge] Smith. Most of my relatives can sing parts of this song among others who aided in recalling missing verses were the following Mrs Polly Rayfield, Mrs Rebecca Bennett Smith, Geo[rge] Rayfield.
There are some other people in this neighborhood who can sing part of the Golden Willow Tree, John Hodges of Zionville NC RI recalled one verse altho' using North America instead of South America as sung by most people. Some of these people tell me that Thomas Williams who was a singer of some local fame first sung this songs in this part of the country just after the close of the Civil War. I have been unable to find any written or printed copies of this song.
Thos Smith
Thomas Smith of Zionville who was born 1876 also appears to have been the same Smith who was a contributor for Davis in his More Ballads (Thomas P. Smith of Palmyra, Va.). You can compare Smith's handwritten version (immediately below) to the one in the Brown collection:
The Golden Willow Tree (Smith's handwritten page 2 and 3- Brown B)
There was a little ship in the South Amerikee
That went by the name of the Golden Willow Tree,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
She hadn't been a-sailin' more'n a week or two
Till she came in sight of the Turkish Revoloo,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
The Captain cried,"Oh, what shall I do,
For yonder comes the Turkish Revoloo?"
As she sailed on the lowland,lonesome,low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
Up stepped a xlittlex cabin boy, said, "What will you give me,
If I will sink her in the saltwater sea?"
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
"I have a house and I have land,
I have an only daughter you may have at your command [shall be at your command,]
If your will sink her in the bottom of the sea,
As she sails in the saltwater sea.
He bent to his breast and out swam he
Till he reached the side of the Turkish Revolee,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
He had a little instrument a-purpose for the use,
And cut nine gashes in the salt water juice,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
Some a-playin' cards and some a-playin' checks,
And some a dancin' on the saltwater decks,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
Some with their hats and some with their caps,
A tryin' for to stop the saltwater gaps,
As she sank in the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sank in the salt water sea.
She bent to his breast and back swam he,
Till he reached the side of the Golden Willow Tree,
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
Oh! "Captain will you be as good as your word,
And will you take me back on board?"
As she sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt water sea.
"I will neither be as good as my word,
I will neither take you back on board!"
As he sailed on the lowland, lonesome, low,
As he sailed on the salt water sea.
If it were not for the men that you have with you,
I'd treat your ship like the Turkish Revoloo,
And sink her in the bottom of the lowland,low,
As sink her in the bottom of the sea.
He bowed his head and down sank he,
And bid farewell to the Golden Willow Tree,
As he sank in the lowland, lonesome, low,
As he sank in the salt-water sea.
Brown Collection of NC Folklore
47. The Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity)
(Child 286)
The oldest form of this, Child's A, is a seventeenth-century broadside; later modifications of it, in broadsides and stall prints down into the nineteenth century, are nearer to the form in which it is traditionally current in our time. It is a favorite among American ballad singers. For its vogue, see BSM 97-8 [1], and add to the citations there given Massachusetts (FSONE 136-7), North Carolina (FSRA 43-5), Florida (FSF 326-8), the Ozarks (OFS I 195-201), Michigan (BSSM 214-15), and Wisconsin (JAFL LII 11-12). It is altogether probable that its popularity is due in part to the sonorous refrain, and perhaps also to the tune or tunes used. There are six texts in our collection.
Footnote (above): 1. There are two errors in the citations there given. The LL reference should be 238-9, not 228-9; and the JFSS 11 reference should be 244, not 224.
A. 'The Turkish Revoloo.' Sent to C. Alphonso Smith by Thomas Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, in 1914 and later to the North Carolina collection. The name 'Revoloo' for the Turkish ship is peculiar to this version. The ship bears a variety of names in the various versions, frequently "the Turkish Revelee," as in stanza 6 below; so that one suspects a change in stanza 2 for the sake of the rhyme with "two." Compare "Traveloo" in version C below. The refrain is written out throughout, because it is sometimes adapted to the matter of the stanzas.
1 There was a little ship in the South Amerikee
That went by the name of the Golden Willow Tree,
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the saltwater sea.
2 She hadn't been a-sailin' more than a week or two
Till she came in sight of the Turkish Revoloo
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the saltwater sea.
3 The Captain cried, 'Oh, what shall I do?
For yonder comes the Turkish Revoloo.
As she sails on the lowland lonesome low.
As she sails on the saltwater sea.'
4 Up steps a little cabin boy, saying, 'What'll you give me
If I will sink her in the saltwater sea.
As she sails on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sails on the saltwater sea?'
5 I have a house, and I have lands,
And I have an only daughter, who shall be at your command,
If you will sink her in [the] lowland low,
If you will sink her in the saltwater sea.'
6 He bent to his breast and off swam he,
Till he came to the side of the Turkish Revoke
As she sails on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sails on the saltwater sea.
7 He had a little instrument a-purpose for the use
And he cut nine gashes in the saltwater juice[2]
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low.
As she sailed on the saltwater sea.
8 Some a-playin' cards and some a-playin' checks
And some a-dancing on the saltwater decks
As she sinks in the lowland lonesome low,
As she sinks in the saltwater sea.
9 Some with their hats and some with their caps
A-tryin' for to stop the saltwater gaps.
As she sinks in the lowland lonesome low,
As she sinks in the saltwater sea.
10 He turned his face and back swam he,
Till he reached the side of the Golden Willow Tree
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the saltwater sea.
11 'Captain, will you be as good as your word,
And will you take me back on board,
As you sail on the lowland lonesome low,
As you sail on the saltwater sea?'
12 I will neither be as good as my word,
I will neither take you back on board,
As I sail on the lowland lonesome low,
As I sail on the saltwater sea.'
13 If it wasn't for the love I have for your men
I would do to you as I did to them
As you sail on the lowland lonesome low.
As you sail on the saltwater sea.'
14 He turned his back and down sank he,
Bidding farewell to the Golden Willow Tree,
As she sailed on the lowlands lonesome low,
As she sailed [on] the saltwater sea.
Footnote 2. Many texts have here "sluice," which comes nearer to making sense.
B. 'The Golden Willow Tree.' Secured by I. G. Greer of Boone, Watauga county, in 1915 or 1916. The text is almost identical with that of A; the second line of stanza 5 reads "If you will sink her in the bottom of the sea" and stanza 6 has "Revoloo" instead of "Revolee," in spite of the fact that the preceding line ends in "he."