A Sailor and His True Love

A sailor and his true love went out to walk one day,
To view the fields and meadows green, when all was fair and gay;
The little birds sang so sweetly, and the blackbirds sang so high,
It was so sweet and charming to hear their melody.

And every sigh that Mary gave was for her Jamie dear;
While down her red and rosy cheeks flowed many a bitter tear--
I hear you're going to leave me, love, and sore do I complain;
I hear you're bound for the Indies, love, to ne'er return again.

Cheer up, cheer up, sweet Mary Ann, from tears you must refrain;
What puts it into your mind, love, that I'II ne'er return again?
Oh, when I'm on the sea sailing, and far from many a shore,
I'll think on thee, sweet Mary Ann, the girl whom I adore.

My father and my mother they taunt me very sore,
For the keeping of thy company, love, but I will keep it more.
Not all the taunts that they can give will ever change my heart,
So meet me here, my true love dear, tho' the night it be very dark.

Oh, dark and rainy was the night, the raging billows roared,
Oh, dark and rainy was the night, the raging billows roared,
Oh, when I'm on the sea sailing, and far from many a shore,
I'll think on thee, sweet Mary Ann, the girl whom I adore.

We weighed our anchor to our bow, likewise our maintop sail,
Away down the Firth and away we went, with a soft and pleasant gale;
Away down the Firth and away we went, for our decks had all been clear,
'Twas then I took the last farewell of the girl I loved so dear.

Oh, fare thee well to bonnie Montrose, thou art my native shore
Likewise to thee, sweet Mary Ann, the girl whom I adore;
For if fortune please my life to spare, and I return again,
I shall make thee my wedded wife, my charming Mary Ann.

From The Grieg-Duncan Folk Song Collection
Collected from T.S. Towers
RG