THE MAID ON THE SHORE
(learned orally from Alfred Deller, Fran Karpeles, and Linda)(also found in Child ballads, Broomfield Hill)
There was a fair maid, and she lived all alone,
There was a fine captain, who had a fine ship,
Oh, I am a captain, with jewels and rings,
By many persuasions they got her on board,
I'll sing you a song, if you think it not wrong,
She robbed them of jewels, she robbed them of rings,
Oh, the men, they were sad, and the men, they were mad,
Oh, do not be mad, nor give up to despair,
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)
She gave herself up to despair-oh!
And naught could she find for to calm her sweet mind
But to wander alone on the shore-oh,
But to wander alone on the shore-oh!
And the weather was steady and fair-oh,
I shall die, I shall die, this good captain did cry,
If I can't have that maid on the shore-oh,
If I can't have that maid on the shore-oh!
Oh, yes, I've much costly fine ware-oh!
And I will reward all my jolly seamen
If they'll bring me that maid on the shore-oh,
If they'll bring me that maid on the shore-oh!
The captain set down her a chair-oh!
He invited her down to his cabin below,
Farewell, sorrow, farewell now, dull care-oh,
Farewell, sorrow, farewell now, dull care-oh!
The captain was weeping for joy-oh!
She sang it so sweetly, so softly, completely,
She sang captain and seamen to sleep-oh,
She sang captain and seamen to sleep-oh!
She robbed them of much costly ware-oh!
And the captain's own sword, which she used as an oar,
She rowed herself back to the shore-oh,
She rowed herself back to the shore-oh!
The men were cast down in despair-oh!
To see her go away, in her beauty so gay,
With the jewels, the rings, and the ware-oh,
With the jewels, the rings, and the ware-oh!
You should have known me before-oh!
For I sang you so sweetly, and I robbed you so neatly,
And again I'm a maid on the shore-oh,
And again I'm a maid on the shore-oh!