Collected by
Mary Celestia Parler;
Transcribed by
Neil Byer
Harrison Burnett
Fayetteville, Ark.
July 13, 1954
Reel 200, Item 7
A Sailor's Life (fragment)
A sailor's life is a dreary life,
It robs fair maidens with their heart's delight,
It causes them for to weep and to mourn,
The sake of a true love that'll never return,
It causes them for to weep and to mourn,
The sake of a true love that'll never return.
Go and get me a chair to set upon,
A pen and ink to write a song,
At the end of every line she dropped a tear,
At the end of every verse cries, Oh, my dear,
(repeat last two lines of each stanza)
Oh, it's dark is the color of my true love's hair,
His cheeks is of a lily fair,
And on his breast he wears a star,
None can I love but my sweet sailor boy.
She pulled her boat upon a rock,
Just like a lady with her heart most broke,
She wrung her hands and tore her hair,
Just like a lady in deep despair.