The Dark-Eyed Sailor

from Gathering Primroses by Ian Martyn

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I first heard this tune on Steeleye Span's first album, Hark! The Village Wait, featuring amazing vocal harmonies between Maddy Prior and Gay Woods.

More info: mainlynorfolk.info/peter.bellamy/songs/thedarkeyedsailor.html

lyrics

As I roved out one evening fair,
It bein' the summertime to take the air,
I spied a sailor and a lady gay
And I stood to listen, and I stood to listen to hear what they would say.

He said “Fair lady, why do you roam,
For the day is spent and the night is on.”
She heaved a sigh while the tears did roll:
For my dark-eyed sailor, for my dark-eyed sailor so young and stout and bold.”

“'Tis seven long years since he left this land,
A ring he took from off his lily-white hand.
One half of the ring is still here with me,
But the other's rollin', but the other's rollin' at the bottom of the sea.”

He said, “You may drive him out of your mind,
Some other young man you will surely find.
Love turns aside and soon cold has grown
Like a winter's morning, like a winter's morning the hills all white with snow.”

She said, “I'll never forsake my dear,
Although we're parted this many a year.
Genteel he was and no rake like you,
To induce a maiden, to induce a maiden to slight the jacket blue.”

One half of the ring did young William show,
She ran distracted, in grief and woe.
Sayin': “William, Will, I have gold in store,
For my dark-eyed sailor, for my dark-eyed sailor has proved his honour true.”

And there is a cottage by yonder lea,
This couple's married and does agree.
So maids, be loyal when your love's at sea,
For a cloudy morning, for a cloudy morning brings in a sunny day.

credits

from Gathering Primroses, released July 3, 2020

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Ian Martyn Santa Barbara, California

Video game soundtracks. Acoustic trad folk. Original and traditional songs and tunes.

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