My Johnny was a shoemaker, and dearly he loved me;
My Johnny was a shoemaker, but now he's gone to sea;
With nasty pitch to soil his hands,
And sail upon the stormy sea
My Johnny was a shoemaker.
His jacket was a deep sky blue, and curly was his hair,
His jacket was a deep sky blue, it was I do declare;
To reef the topsail now he's gone
And sail upon the stormy sea
My Johnny was a shoemaker.
And he will be a captain by and bye, with a brave and gallant crew
And he will be a captain by and bye, with a sword and spyglass too,
And when he is a captain bold,
He'll come back and marry me,
My Johnny was a shoemaker.
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Source: Lucy Broadwood and J A Fuller Maitland. 1893, English County Songs, Leadenhall Press, London
Notes:
From The Besom Maker by Mr Heywood Sumner.
Lucy Broadwood noted:
In the printed version, the A appears as A sharp in bars 4, 8 and 14; it has been altered to A natural here, as it is possibly the older form of the tune.
Roud: 1388 (Search Roud index at VWML) Take Six
Laws:
Child: