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My name is Pat O'Brien, I'm a blacksmith by trade,
'Twas down in New Orleans where I was born and reared,
'Twas down in New Orleans down by a shady grove,
Where I happened to get acquainted with young Sally Monro.
I wrote Sally a letter and some loving words I penned,
I wrote Sally a letter and I mailed it by a friend,
But instead of being a friend to me to me he proved a foe,
He never gave my letter to young Sally Monro.
But he told Sally's mother for to beware of me,
That I already had a girl in my own country.
"I'm glad," said Sally's mother, "I'm glad you told me so,
He never will enjoy my young Sally Monro."
Six weary weeks had passed and gone and no news did I hear,
Concerning of my darling of whom I did love dear,
Till on one Sunday evening down by a shady grove,
Who happened to pass by me but young Sally Monro.
I said, "My dearest Sally, if you'll come along with me,
I'll take you down to New Orleans, it's married we will be."
"If you have no objections along with you I'll go,
Providing you will prove loyal to young Sally Monro."
That day being on a Monday and Tuesday thick with fog,
When soon our gallant ship she struck a rock,
Two hundred handsome passengers to the bottom down did go,
And one of the odd number I lost Sally Monro.
It was from Sally's mother I stole Sally away,
I never forget it until my dying day,
'Twas never for to injure her that ever I done so,
I'll mourn till the day I die for young Sally Monro.
Collected in 1961 from Patrick Rossiter of Fermeuse, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 2, pp.488-489, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved. Another variant was sung by James Maher (b.1885) of Flatrock, NL, and published as Sally Monroe in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
Kenneth Peacock noted that there seems to be some confusion in the hero's history, in that he was "born and reared" in New Orleans yet has a girl in his "own country." Either he or Sally should live somewhere else (preferably Ireland) to avoid confusion. Peacock noted that he could not recall seeing the ballad before, but thought it safe to assume that it is an Irish immigrant ballad of American origin.
Note: The Scottish broadside, Sally Munro, clears up the confusion with both the hero and Sally being from Scotland. After they marry and sail for Quebec, their ship wrecks off the coast of Wales.
