Saucy Sailor

A little gold and silver can go a long way it appears, when it comes to overlooking a
certain ragged, dirty and smelly appearance. However, jolly Jack (or possibly Henry)
is not taken in by the country girl's expression of adoration after she learns what he's
got in his pocketses, and he then promptly displays an approach to true love which is
equally mercenary. I rather like this cynical example of gender equality.

As the lady in the lounge of the Star seems to have spotted towards the end of verse
two, I learned this version from Steeleye Span, and it is probably drawn from the
older 'The Saucy Sailor Boy'.

An 1887 edition of "(50) SAILORS SONGS OR 'CHANTIES'" (Frederick J.
Davis RNR) lists The Saucy Sailor Boy as a "Song for Pumping the Ship Out", and
according to Stan Hugill (known as the "Last Working Shantyman") in all likelihood
the song originated on shore, sometime in the 18th century. In The Saucy Sailor Boy,
the protagonists are a sailor and a fisher girl, though other variants have the woman
engaged in a somewhat more 'earthy' occupation. A similar idea crops up in the well
known 'Wild Rover', where the sailor goes to an alehouse and pretends to have no
money, and the landlady refuses him credit, only to welcome him with open arms
once he reveals that he does indeed have a few readies to hand.

A Victorian collector, William Alexander Barrett, maintained that The Saucy Sailor
has been in print since at least 1781. He cited it as being highly popular with East
London factory girls.

Well. There you go.

(Thanks to Mudcatters everywhere for the academicky bits)


Rob

Come me own one, come me fair one,
Come now unto me
Could you fancy a poor sailor lad
Who has just come from sea?

You are ragged love, and you're dirty love
And your clothes smell much of tar
So be gone you saucy sailor lad
So be gone you Jack Tar

If I'm ragged love, and I'm dirty love
And me clothes smell much of tar
I have silver in me pockets love,
And gold in great store.

And when she heard him say so
On her bended knees she fell
"I will marry my dear henry,
For I love sailor lad so well."

Do you think that I am foolish love?
Do you think that I am mad?
For to wed with a poor country girl
Where no fortunes to be had

I will cross the briney ocean
I will whistle and sing
And since you have refused the offer love
Some other girl will wear the ring

I am frolicsome and I am easy,
Good tempered and free
And I don't give a single pin me boys
What the world thinks of me.