The Dark Eyed Sailor.
Groeswen Music

A really lovely folk tune. If you click on each piece of music, you will hear the tune. I've also clipped the tune into short parts for you. At the end of the page, there is a link to the melodylane.net site where there is an accompaniment to play along to.

Bit one


 Bit two


Bit three


Bit four


Bit five


Bit six

Once you can play all of the bits, there is a really nice midi file to play along to.

 

As I roved out one evening fair
It being 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 rolling
But the other's rolling 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 are white with snow.''

She said, ``I'll never forsake my dear
Although we're parted this many a year
Genteel he was and a rake like you
To induce a maiden
To induce a maiden too slight to jag it through.''

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 own control''

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.