A traditional "broken token" song. It has been performed by Christy Moore, Steeleye Span, Tony Rose, Peter Bellamy and many others.
lyrics
LYRICS:
As I walked 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 done 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,
And the other's rolling,
And 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,
Though he be gone for so many a year.
Handsome he was and a rake like you,
To induce a maiden,
To induce a maiden to slight the jacket blue."
One half of the ring did young William show.
She ran distracted in joy and woe,
Saying, "William, William, let us married be,
For my dark-eyed sailor,
For my dark-eyed sailor has now returned to me."
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.
Roary Skaista is a queer folk musician based in Oxford, performing traditional folk songs as well as their own material on
the themes of love, nature and diversity.
supported by 5 fans who also own “Dark-Eyed Sailor”
This is a great adaptation of Arthuriana and a brilliant narrative album. I love how the queerness of the characters is handled as an integral part of the narrative and plot development without it being the end all be all of the characters themselves. my boy Gawain deserved better though maritarvaniti
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018