The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs

I

’Tis True My Love’s Enlisted …
Soldiers and Sailors

’Tis True My Love’s Enlisted …
Sailors and Soldiers

Britain has prided itself on its military and maritime prowess for centuries, and it is no surprise that these subjects feature widely in traditional song, either by providing the main backdrop to the story or simply by having soldiers and sailors as main characters.

It is interesting to note that whereas the songs on rural life and work are mostly positive and do not dwell on the poverty and the unpleasant realities of everyday life, many songs of the sea take a much more realistic view and do not shrink from the hardships involved. This is not to argue that there were no romanticized portrayals; there were also plenty of those, and writers like Charles Dibdin made a comfortable career out of them. However, one reality of naval life which impinged directly on the general population, from Tudor times to the early nineteenth century, was the system of forcible impressment. The press gang was a very real threat to working people, especially in coastal areas in times of war, and therefore features often in songs, as a means of removing unwanted suitors, for example. The army had no such powers of enforcement, but had to rely on roaming recruiting parties to persuade likely candidates to enlist, often getting them drunk first. The allure of an army life is sometimes treated positively in traditional song, but recruiting parties are usually portrayed as something to be mistrusted and resisted.

The ‘female warrior’ motif, of young women disguising themselves as soldiers or sailors, is a very common one, and over one hundred different songs with the theme have been identified, the earliest being ‘Mary Ambree’, from about 1600. Cross-dressing characters also became stock figures in popular culture and appeared regularly in plays and novels as well as songs. From the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries, at least twenty verifiable cases of women joining the Royal Navy or Marines have been identified, and three became famous in their day – Hannah Snell (1723–92), Mary Lacy (b.1740) and Mary Ann Talbot (1778–1808), although the latter is now thought to be fictional. Wishful thinking on the part of servicemen starved of female company is sometimes cited as the basis of these songs, but this is unlikely. Most navy ships carried some women as a matter of course and while in port they were, according to the moralists of the day, quite overrun with them. Similarly most armies were attended by whole troops of wives, cooks, washerwomen and general camp followers.

Many songs which feature soldiers and sailors are not about the armed services at all, but simply use them as characters in daily life. Many songs are about ‘Jack on shore’, invariably portrayed as carefree, free-spending, drinking, singing and dancing, with a girl in every port, and whose only enemies are landladies who will not serve him when his money is gone, and whores who seek to cheat him at every turn. Jack usually gets the better of them and the songs are usually on his side, the only criticism of his behaviour being the muted one from the girls left holding the babies.

It is not just in song that blue jackets and red coats seemed irresistible to young women. In the mid nineteenth century, so taken were young women of what was termed the ‘servant-girl class’ with military uniform that the popular press referred to it as the ‘scarlet fever’, and even ladies of higher social standing were hardly immune.

Not all songs about the sea are about the navy or pirates, and there are many which deal with the fishing industry, of which ‘The Greenland Whale Fishery’ (No. 11) is probably the widest known example.

1
The Bold Princess Royal

On the fourteenth of February we sailed from the land

In the bold Princess Royal, bound for Newfoundland

We had forty brave seamen for the ship’s company

And boldly from the eastward to the westward bore we.

We had not been a-sailing scarce days two or three

When a man from our mast-head strange sails did he see

He came bearing down on us for to see what we were

And under his mizzen, black colours he wore.

‘O Lord,’ cried our captain, ‘what shall we do now?

Here comes a bold pirate for to rob us, I know.’

‘Oh no,’ cried the chief mate, ‘that will not be so

We’ll shake out our reef, my boys, and away from him we’ll go.’

[At last this bold pirate he hove alongside

With a loud-speaking trumpet; ‘Whence came you?’ he cried

Our captain standing aft, my boys, he answered him so

‘We’ve come from fair London town, we’re bound for Cairo.’]

[‘Come lay up your course-sails and heave your ship to

For I have some letters for to send home by you.’

‘I will lay up my course-sails and I’ll heave my ship to

But that’s home in harbour, boys, not alongside of you.’]

He chased us to the westward all that livelong day

And he chased us to the eastward but he couldn’t get no way

He fir-ed shots after us but none did prevail

And the bold Princess Royal soon showed him her tail.

‘O Lord,’ cried the captain, ‘the pirate he is gone

Go down to your grog, my boys, go down everyone

Go down to your grog, my boys, and be of good cheer

For while we have sea-room, brave lads never fear.’

2
Bonny Bunch of Roses O

By the dangers of the ocean, one morning in the month of June

The feathered warbling songsters their charming notes so sweet did tune

There I espied a female, seemingly in grief and woe

Conversing with young Bonaparte, concerning the bonny bunch of roses O.

When first you saw great Bonaparte, you fell upon your bended knee

And asked your father’s life of him, when he granted it most manfully

’Twas then he raised an army and o’er the frozen Alps did go

He said, ‘I’ll conquer Moscow, then go to the bonny bunch of roses O.’

But when he came near Moscow he was overpowered by driven snow

All Moscow was a-blazing, so he lost the bonny bunch of roses O.

‘Then son, don’t be so venturesome, for England is the heart of gold

There is England, Ireland and Scotland, their unity shall ne’er be broke

Then son, look at your father, on St Helena his body lies low

[And if ] you will go to the war, sir, beware of the bonny bunch of roses O.’

It’s mother adieu for ever, it’s now I’m on my dying bed

But if I’d lived I should have been clever, but now I droop my youthful head

For the while our bones do moulder and weeping willows o’er us grow

The deeds of bold Napoleon still sting the bonny bunch of roses O.

3
Captain Ward and the Rainbow

Come all you seamen bold, with courage beat your drum

I’ll sing you of a rover who on the sea did roam

Whose name it was bold Captain Ward as you shall quickly hear

O such a rover has not been known for many a long year.

It was on the first of July we sailed from the west

Loaded with silks and satins, a cargo of the best

Until we met bold saucy Ward all on the watery main

He robbed us of our wealthy stores and sent us back again.

Now he sent a letter to our Queen, he sent it with courage bold

To know if he might come, my lads, old England to behold

[And if your Queen will let me come till he his tale has told]

Now for this parting he would give five hundred tons of gold.

Now our Queen was building a fine ship, a ship of noted fame

She was called the Rainbow, you may have heard her name

She was called the Rainbow and on the seas went she

With four or five hundred seamen bold to bear her company.

Now she went on till she came where saucy Ward did lie

‘Where is the admiral of your ship?’ our Captain he did cry

‘I’m here, I’m here,’ cried saucy Ward, ‘my name I’ll never deny

If you be one of the Queen’s fine ships you’re welcome to pass by.’

‘Oh no,’ cried the Captain, ‘that grieves our Queen full sore

To think that our rich merchant ships can’t pass as they’ve done before.’

He says, ‘Come on, bold saucy Ward, I value you not one pin

If you’ve got brass for outward show, I have got steel within.’

So at eight o’clock in the morning, this bloody fight begun

That lasted till eight in the evening, the setting of the sun

‘Fight on, fight on,’ cried saucy Ward, ‘your style so well please me

For I will fight for a month or two and your master I will be.’

Now gallant Rainbow he fought but all in vain

Till sixty and five of his men all on his decks lie slain

‘Go home, go home,’ cried saucy Ward, ‘and tell your Queen for me

If she reigns Queen of England, I will reign king at sea.’

4
The Dolphin

Our ship she laid in harbour, in Liverpool Docks she lay

Awaiting for fresh orders and her anchor for to weigh

Bound down to the coast of Africa, our orders did run so

We’re going to sink and destroy, my boys, no matter where we go.

We had not been sailing scarce fifty leagues or more

For there we espied a lofty ship and down on us he bore

He hailed us in French colours, he asked us where and whence we came

‘We just came down from Liverpool town and the Dolphin is our name.’

‘Are you a man-of-war, sir? Pray tell me what you be.’

‘I am no man-of-war, sir, but a pirate ship you see

Come heave up your fore and main yards and let your ship come to

For our tackles are overhauled and our boats are all lowered, or else we will sink you.’

Now our captain stood on the quarter deck, he was brave and fearless too

‘It’s three to one against us,’ he cried unto his crew

‘If it hadn’t have been for my younger brother, this battle would never been tried

Let every man stand true to his gun and we’ll give to them a broadside.’

Now broadside to broadside, which caused all hands to wonder

To see that lofty tall ship’s mast come rattling down like thunder

We shot them from our quarterdeck till they could no longer stay

Our guns being smart and we played a fine part and we showed them Liverpool play.

Now this large tall ship was taken and in Liverpool Docks was moored

We fired shots with our sweethearts and with the fancy girls ashore

We lowered down the French colours, we hoisted the red, white and blue

We drink success to the Dolphin and all her jovial crew.

5
Faithful Sailor Boy

It was a stormy winter’s night, the snow lay on the ground

The sailor boy stood on the quay, his ship was outward bound

His sweetheart standing by his side shed many a silent tear

And as he pressed her to his breast, he whispered in her ear.

Chorus

Farewell, farewell, my own true love, this parting brings me pain

I’ll be your own true guiding star when I return again

My thoughts shall be of you, of you, when the storms are raging high

So fare ye well, remember me, your faithful sailor boy.

Without a gale the ship set sail, he kissed his love goodbye

She watched the craft till out of sight and a tear bedimmed her eye

She prayed for him in heaven above to guide him on his way

His last and loving words that night re-echoed o’er the bay.

But sad to say the ship returned without her sailor boy

He died whilst on the voyage back, the flag ’twas half-mast high

And when his comrades came on shore they told her he was dead

A letter he had sent to her, and the last line sadly read.

Last chorus

Farewell, farewell, my own true love, on earth we meet no more

I soon shall be from storm and sea on that eternal shore

I hope to meet you in that land, that land beyond the sky

Where you shall not be parted from your faithful sailor boy.

6
The Female Cabin Boy

’Tis of a pretty female, as you shall understand

She had a mind of roving unto some foreign land

Attired in sailor’s clothing she boldly did appear

And engaged with the captain to serve him for one year.

She engaged with the captain as cabin boy to be

The wind it was in favour and so they put to sea

The captain’s lady being on board she seemed for to enjoy

And glad the captain had engaged with a female cabin boy.

So nimble was this pretty girl, she did her duty well

Only mark what follows after, the song it soon will tell

By eating the captain’s biscuits her colour did destroy

And the waist did swell of pretty Nell, the female cabin boy.

[It was through the Bay of Biscay our gallant ship did plough]

One night among the sailors there was a pretty row

They bundled from their hammocks, which did their rest destroy

They swore about the groaning of the female cabin boy.

‘O doctor, O doctor,’ the cabin boy did cry

The sailors swore by one and all the cabin boy will die

The doctor ran with all his might a-smiling at the fun

To think a sailor lad should have a daughter or a son.

O when the sailors heard the joke they all began to stare

The child belongs to none of them they solemnly declared

The lady to the captain said, ‘My dear I wish you joy

’Twas either you or I betrayed the female cabin boy.’

7
The Female Drummer

When I was a young girl, the age of sixteen

I from my parents ran away and went to serve the queen

I enlisted in the army like another private man

And very soon they learnt me for to beat upon the drum

For to beat upon the drum, for to beat upon the drum

And very soon they learnt me for to beat upon the drum.

They sent me to my quarters, they sent me to my bed

And lying by a soldier’s side I did not feel afraid

For in taking off my red coat I oftentimes did smile

To think myself a drummer but a maiden all the while

But a maiden all the while, etc.

They sent me up to London for there to mind the Tower

And there I might have been until this very day and hour

Till a young girl fell in love with me, I told her I was a maid

She went unto my officer, my secret betrayed

My secret she betrayed, etc.

My officer sent for me to see if it was true

I smiled, O I smiled, I told him it was true

He looked upon me kindly and these are the words he said

‘It’s a pity we should lose you, such a drummer as you made

Such a drummer as you made’, etc.

O fare you well, dear officer, you have been kind to me

And fare you well, dear colonel, will you please remember me

If the war it should break out again and you are short of men

I’ll put on my hat and feathers and I’ll beat the drum again

And I’ll beat the drum again, etc.

8
General Wolfe

Bold General Wolfe to his men did say

‘Come come my lads, to follow me

See yonder cliffs, oh they look so high

Through smoke and fire, through smoke and fire

There lies the path to victory

All for the honour, all for an honour

All for a king and a country.’

You see brave men on the hill so high

While we poor lads in the valley lie

You see them fall like gnats in the sun

Through smoke and fire, through smoke and fire

They’re falling to our frigate guns

All for the honour, all for the honour

All for a king and a country.

Now the first volley that they gave to us

They hit our Wolfe in his left breast

And he lay bleeding no more to stand

Saying, ‘Fight on so boldly, fight you on so boldly

For while I live I shall give command.’

All for the honour, all for the honour

All for a king and a country.

‘In my left pocket and in my chest

My money and jewels there lie at rest

Divide this money, this jewels and gold

Drink to me boldly, drink to me boldly

It is no good when the blood is cold.’

All for the honour, all for an honour

All for a king and a country.

‘Now when to old England you do return

Go to the village where I was born

Say unto my old mother dear

“Weep not for me, weep you not for me

A soldier’s death I had wished to share.”’

All for the honour, all for the honour

For the second George and the country.

9
The Golden Vanity

It’s I have got a ship in the north country

She goes by the name of the Golden Vanity

I’m afraid she will be taken by the Spanish galleon

As she sails on the Lowlands, Lowlands low

As she sails on the Lowlands low.

Then up stepped a little cabin boy

Saying, ‘Master what will you give me if I will them destroy?’

‘I’ll give you gold and silver and you shall have my daughter

If you’ll sink her in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

If you’ll sink her in the Lowlands low.’

This boy he undaunted and soon jump-ed in

He leant upon his breast and so gallantly did swim

He swam till he came to the Spanish galleon

As she lies in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

As she lies in the Lowlands low.

This boy had an auger that bored two holes at once

While some was playing cards and the others playing dice

He let the water in and it dazzled in their eyes

And he sank her in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

And he sank her in the Lowlands low.

He leant upon his breast and he swam back again

‘O master take me up, for I’m sure I will be slain

For I have offended the total of the crew

And I’ve sunk her in Lowlands, Lowlands low

And I’ve sunk her in Lowlands low.’

‘I will not take you up,’ the master he cried

‘I will not take you up,’ the captain replied

‘I will shoot you, I will kill you, I will send you with the tide

And I’ll sink you in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

And I’ll sink you in the Lowlands low.’

He leant on his breast and swum round the larboard side

His strength began to fail him, most bitterly he cried

‘O messes take me up, for I’m sure I shall be slain

For I’ve sunk her in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

For I’ve sunk her in the Lowlands low.’

His messes took him up and on the deck he died

And then they wrapped him up in an old cow’s hide

They threw him overboard to go with the wind and tide

And they sank him in the Lowlands, Lowlands low

And they sank him in the Lowlands low.

10
The Green Bed

The sailor went to sea and again he came on shore

He went unto his quarters where he had been before

‘What luck, what luck, young sailor, what money did you earn?’

‘Alas, alack but little, I penniless return.’

‘Where is your daughter Molly? Come fetch her down to me

Her own true love she’ll welcome, returning from the sea.’

‘My daughter is too busy and cannot come to you

I cannot think to trust you above a pot or two.’

The sailor he was drowsy, and weary hung his head

He called for a candle to light him to his bed

‘My beds are all engaged, they have been full a week

So if you need a lodging, some other tavern seek.’

‘Come, for the ale I’ll pay you, I’m making here too bold.’

He drew from out his pocket three handfuls all of gold

Upstairs the mother hasted, ‘Come come my Molly dear

The sailor rolls in riches, make him the best of cheer.’

Downstairs came Molly quickly, and pleasantly she smiled

She patted Jack upon the back and called him her dear child

She pulled his hair, she plucked his cheek, and said, ‘My duck, my dear

The green best bed is empty and you shall lie in there.’

‘Nay rather than I’d lie in there, I’d lie out in the street

I’d rather eat a crust of bread than touch of your best meat

So fare thee well, false Molly, and fare thee well, old mother

My golden store and wealth galore I’ll spend upon another.’

11
The Greenland Whale Fishery

We may no longer stay on shore

Since deep we are in debt

So off to Greenland let us steer

Some money, boys, to get, brave boys

So to Greenland we’ll bear away.

In eighteen hundred and twenty-four

On March the twenty-third

We hoist our colours to th’ mast-head

And for Greenland bore away, brave boys

And for Greenland we bore away.

John Paigent was our captain’s name

Our ship the Lion bold

We weigh-ed anchor at the bow

To face the storm and cold, brave boys