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I had not sailèd a voyage but one,
Till I fell in love with a young woman;
I loved that girl as I did my life,
What would I give if she were my wife.
I bought her a ring and a pair of gloves,
And I sent them safe unto my true love;
She did accept them and was not shy,
Although I was but a prentice boy.
Go along, go along, oh you silly boy,
To think such a lady for to enjoy;
She has a sweetheart all on the sea,
And she'll be married when he is free.
I'll try, I'll try, and I'll try again,
Perhaps she might alter her mind again;
Perhaps she won't fancy no one but me,
While her own true lovyer is on the sea.
Our ship is ready and fit for sea,
And tomorrow morning she sails away;
To rise a dance we all did agree,
And I'll ask my true love to dance with me.
"To dance with you, love, I will agree,
And wait on you, love, till you are free,
When all my pleasure and all my joy
Is to roll in the arms of my prentice boy."
Collected in 1959 from Mrs. Charlotte Decker of Parson's Pond, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 2, pp.575-576, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Note on the word 'lovyer': "... an added 'y' can enlarge or distort an existing vowel or diphthong: villyan, joynt (villain, giant)." Morath, Max (2004) Translating Mister Dooley: A New Examination of the Journalism of Finley Peter Dunne. (The Journal of American Culture Vol.27, Issue 2, page 147).
Jack was only a prentice boy,
Scarce had he sailed the ocean 'round,
Scarce had he made more than voyages three,
When he fell in love with a fair maid he.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
Straight on board of a ship he went,
Telling his mates of his heart's content,
Saying he loved a lady as he loved his life,
And what would he give if she were his wife.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
"Aye, you poor and foolish boy,
This fair lady you'll never enjoy,
For a sweetheart she got all over the sea,
And she'll be married before you're free."
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
"Aye," said Jack, "I can but try,
For this fair lady may fancy I,
For this fair lady may fancy me,
And she can wait till I am free."
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
The next time Jack saw her was at a ball,
She did his very heart enthrall,
He danced with her and did enjoy,
Still Jack was only a prentice boy.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
He bought her rings and jewels bright,
He talked with her to his heart's delight,
He danced with her and was no way shy,
Still Jack was only a prentice boy.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
Hand in hand together they walked,
As down by the riverside they talked,
As they talked down by the riverside,
Where the ships do sail with the wind and tide.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
"Aye," she said, "Jack, now show to me
The way you handle your ship at sea."
It's roll and tumble the whole night long,
Until Jack bore away with his main-yard sprung.
Fall the diddle I doh, fall the diddle day
Collected in 1952 from Chris Cobb of Barred Island, NL, by Kenneth Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 2, pp.579-580, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Kenneth Peacock noted that the text for Variant A seems to be older than B's which shows a seaman's influence. The last verse in particular would make it a fo'c'sle favorite.
