Sailor Lad and Tailor Lad

A sailor lad and a tailor lad,
And they were baith for me;
I wid raither tack the sailor lad,
And lat the tailor be.

What can a tailor laddie dee
Bit sit and sew a cloot,
When the bonnie sailor laddie
Can turn a ship aboot.

He can turn her east, and he can turn her west,
He can turn her far awa';
He aye tells me t' keep up my hairt
For the time that he's awa'.

I saw 'im lower his anchor,
I saw 'im as he sailed;
I saw 'im cast his jacket
To try and catch a whale.

He skips upon the planestanes,
He sails upon the sea;
A fancy man wi' a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me,
Is aye the boy for me;
A fancy man wi' a curly pow
Is aye the boy for me.

He daurna brack a biscuit,
He daurna smoke a pipe;
He daurna kiss a bonnie lass
At ten o'clock at night.

I can wash a sailor's shirt,
And I can wash it clean;
I can wash a sailor's shirt,
And bleach it on the green.
Come a-rinkle-tinkle, fal-a-la, fal-a-la,
Aboun a man-o'-war.
________________________________________________________

Gomme II.147, from Rosehearty. "A circle is formed by
joining hands. They dance round and sing. Sometimes at
Rosehearty two play the game by the one taking hold of
the other's left hand with her right."

MS