There was a ship sailed from th' northern country,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
There was a ship sailed from th' northern country,
An' th' name that she went under was th' "Turkey Shivaree",
Where she went sailin' on th' lowlands lonesome low,
Where she went sailin' on th' lowlands low.
They had not sailed more than weeks two or three,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
They had not sailed more than weeks two or three,
Till they came in sight of the "Green Willow Tree",
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands lonesome low,
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands low.
"I'll give you gold an' I'll give you fee,"
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
"I'll give you gold an' I'll give you fee,
An' my oldest daughter your wedded bride shall be,
If you sink 'em in th' lowlands lonesome low,
If you sink 'em in th' lowlands low.
He bowed upon his breast an' off swum he,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
He bowed upon his breast an' off swum he,
An' he came in sight of the "Green Willow Tree",
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands lonesome low,
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands low.
Some was at hats an' some was at caps,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
Some was at hats an' some was at caps,
An' some was a' stoppin' the salt-water gaps,
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands lonesome low,
Where she lay anchored on th' lowlands low.
This laddie had an instrument just fit for the use,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
This laddie had an instrument just fit for the use,
For to put agin the cabin an' eleven holes to push,
To sink 'em in the lowlands lonesome low,
To sink 'em in the lowlands low.
("An important stanza is missing here, but Mr Kelley assures me that he sunk 'em, all right")
He bowed upon his breast an' back swum he,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
He bowed upon his breast an' back swum he,
Till he come in sight of the "Turkey Shivaree",
Where she was sailin' on th' lowlands lonesome low,
Where she was sailin' on th' lowlands low.
"Oh captain, oh captain, come take me on board,"
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
"Oh captain, oh captain, come take me on board,
An' be to me as good as your word,
For I sunk 'em in th' lowlands lonesome low,
For I sunk 'em in th' lowlands low."
"Oh no, oh no, I cain't take you on board,"
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
"Oh no, oh no, I cain't take you on board,
An' be unto you as good as my word,
Though you sunk 'em in th' lowlands lonesome low,
Though you sunk 'em in th' lowlands low."
"Now, if it warn't for the virtue of your crew,"
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
"Now, if it warn't for the virtue of your crew,
I'd do unto you as I done unto them,
I'd sink you in th' lowlands lonesome low,
I'd sink you in th' lowlands low."
He bowed his breast an' off swum he,
Cryin' o'er the lowlands low;
He bowed his breast an' off swum he,
An' bid an everlastin' 'dieu to the "Turkey Shivaree,"
An' he left her sailing on th' lowlands lonesome low,
An' he left her sailing on th' lowlands low.
abc | midi | pdf
Source: Randolph, V, 1982. Ozark Folksongs, Illinois Press, Urbana
Notes:
Randolph wrote:
Sung by Lewis Kelley, Cyclone, Mo., Aug 17, 1931.
This ballad is "The Sweet Trinity" or "The Golden Vanity" (Child 286). E Duncan prints a text from "a black-letter broadside of the seventeenth century, where the ballad is entitled 'Sir Walter Raleigh Sailing in the Lowlands in the Sweet Trinity.'"
[Further references omitted]
In some variants of this tale of betrayal, justice is done: either the cabin boy is rescued by his shipmates, or his ghost returns to haunt the captain, or the captain is thrown overboard by the crew and drowns.
Roud: 122 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: 286
Related Songs: The Green Willow Tree (thematic)