Farewell to you, my own true love,
I am going far away;
I am bound for California,
But I know that I'll return some day.
So fare thee well, my own true love,
When I return united we will be;
It's not the leavin' of Liverpool that grieves me,
But my darlin' when I think of thee.
I have sailed on a yankee sailing ship, Davy Crockett is her name;
And Burgess is the captain of her,
And they say that she's a floating hell.
So fare thee well, my own true love,
When I return united we will be;
It's not the leavin' of Liverpool that grieves me,
But my darlin' when I think of thee.
Oh, the sun is on the harbour, love,
And I wish I could remain;
But I know it will be some long, long time,
Before I see you again.
So fare thee well, my own true love,
When I return united we will be;
It's not the leavin' of Liverpool that grieves me,
But my darlin' when I think of thee.
So fare thee well, my own true love,
When I return united we will be;
It's not the leavin' of Liverpool that grieves me,
But my darlin' when I think of thee.
####.... Author unknown. Originally collected as The Leaving Of Liverpool by William Main Doerflinger [1909-2000] from an ex-seaman, Dick Maitland, who first heard it from a Liverpool man on the docks in 1885, and published in Doerflinger's Shantymen And Shantyboys (1951) and Songs Of The Sailor And Lumberman, pp.104-105 (1972) ....####
This variant arranged and recorded by Siochána (Siochána On Our Own - Live At Bridie Molloy's, St. John's, NL, 2005). Siochana See more songs by Siochána.
The YouTube video above features an excellent performance of a variant by Jesse Ferguson of Cornwall, Ontario, Fredericton, New Brunswick and Sydney, Nova Scotia.
A variant was also recorded by The Ennis Sisters (Red Is The Rose, trk#10, 1997, recorded and mixed at First City Productions, St. John's, NL, and published by the Ennis Sisters).
Per The Maritime History Virtual Archives of North American Built Clipper Ships, John A. Burgess of Somerset, Massachusetts, captained the clipper ship David Crockett on the San Francisco-to-New York-to-Liverpool route from 1860 until his death in 1874.
The YouTube video below features a performance by Raymond Crooke of Melbourne, Australia.
