Dead Songs in Depth

    
Jack-a-Roe
w&m: traditional
LASF: http://www.whitegum.com/songfile/JACKAROE.HTM
  

    
Jack A Roe 
Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

There was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell
He had a beautiful daughter, the truth to you I'll tell
Oh the truth to you I'll tell

She had sweethearts a plenty and men of high degree
But none but Jack the sailor her true love e'er could be
Oh her true love e'er could be

Jackie's gone a sailing with trouble on his mind
He's left his native country and his darling girl behind
Oh his darling girl behind

She went down to a tailor's shop and dressed in man's array
She climbed on board a vessel to convey herself away
Oh convey herself away

Before you step on board Sir, your name I'd like to know
She smiled all in her countenance 'they call me Jack A Roe'
Oh they call me Jack A Roe

I see your waist is slender, your fingers they are small
Your cheeks too red and rosy to face the cannonball
Oh to face the cannonball

I know my waist is slender, my fingers they are small
But it would not make me tremble to see ten thousand fall
Oh to see ten thousand fall

The war soon being over, she went and looked around
Among the dead and wounded her darling boy she found
Oh her darling boy she found

She picked him up all in her arms and carried him to town
She sent for a physician who quickly healed his wounds
Oh who quickly healed his wounds

This couple they got married, so well they did agree
This couple they got married, so why not you and me
Oh why not you and me
  

    

Here's another song on a similar theme.  I heard Uncle Earl perform it live
last weekend, and then bought their new CD "She Waits for Night" because I
loved their rendition so much:



WILLIE TAYLOR

Willie Taylor and his youthful lover,
full of mirth and loyalty,
they were going to the church to be married,
he was pressed and sent on sea.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

She dressed herself up like a sailor,
on her breast she wore a star,
her lovely fingers long and slender,
she gave them all just a smear of tar.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

On the ship there being a skirmish,
she was one amongst the rest,
a silver button flew off her jacket,
there appeared her snow white breast.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

Said the Captain to this fair maid,
"What misfortune has took you here?"
"I'm in search of my true lover,
whom you pressed on the other year".
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

"If you're in search of your true lover,
tell me what might be his name"
"Willie Taylor's what they call him
but Fitzgerald is his name"
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

"If You get up tomorrow morning,
early as the break of day,
there you'll spy your Willie Taylor,
walking along with a lady gay."
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

So she got up the very next morning,
early as the break of day,
There she spied her Willie Taylor
walking along with a lady gay.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

So she pulled out a brace of pistols
that she had at her command,
and there she shot her Willie Taylor
with his bride at his right hand.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

When the Captain came to hear
of the deed that she had done,
he made her a ship's commander,
over a vessel for the Isle of Man.
Dally dilly dum, dilly dum dum day

Although this song ( http://www.taramusic.com/sleevenotes/cd4004.htm )
was collected in Ireland, from the 90 year old singer "Pa" Cassidy, it
is actually English and part of a long tradition of songs about
"warrior maids", serving in the army or navy. Although the conventions
of the search for a lost lover, the women's disguise, the apparent
short-sightedness of the officers, and the matter-of-fact acceptance of
their eventual discovery, might give the songs a somewhat unreal air
today, an attested historical foundation does lie behind these songs.
This book review (
http://unionsong.com/muse/songnet/reviews/frs/warrior.html ) gives an
assessment of the tradition from a perspective of historical sociology.
The two links just below the title of that page lead to the titles of a
large collection of ballads from that tradition, and to one other
complete example.

Source:  http://homepage.ntlworld.com/farawayhills/lyrics3.html



More on Uncle Earl:  http://www.uncleearl.net/
  

    
Uncle Earl is great, as is their CD!
  

    

This song has such a sweet groove, adn the five-part harmony on "Dally dilly
dum, dilly dum dum day" is seductive as hell.  I didn't get the gist of the
story the first time I heard the song, but what a tale!