The earliest copies of this ballad are English broadsides belonging to the Restoration period. Pepys included one in his ballad collection, sub-titled:
'A warning for married women, being an example of Mrs. Jane Reynolds, a West-country woman, born near Plymouth, who, having plighted her troth to a seaman, was afterwards married to a carpenter, and at last carried away by a Spirit, the manner how shall presently be recited to a West-country tune, etc.'
The ballad appears to have no parallel in European tradition. Child gives eight versions, seven of which are Scots. Less than a hundred years later, Bronson was able to assemble one-hundred-and-forty-five versions, the bulk of which are North American.
lyrics
O, are ye my faither or are ye my mither
Or are ye my brither John?
Or are ye James Herries, my ain true love
To Scotland come again?
I'm no' your faither, I'm no' your mither,
I'm no' your brither John.
But I am James Herries, your ain true love
To Scotland come again.
O, see ye no' yon seiven ships?
The eighth brocht me to land,
I've merchandise and mariners
And wealth on every hand.
But I am married to a carpenter
Earns his braid upon dry land,
And I hae borne him a bonnie young son
And wi' you I winna gang.
O, ye maun leave your husband dear
And come awa' wi' me;
I'll tak' ye whaur the white lilies grow
On the banks o' Italy.
Then she has gane tae her bonnie young son
And kissed baith cheek and chin,
And syne tae her husband, sleepin' soond,
And done the same wi' him.
They had nae sealed a league, a league,
A league but barely three,
When she minded her man and her bonnie young son
And grat maist bitterly
O, haud your tongue, my sprightly flooer
Let a' your mournin' be,
I'll tak' ye whaur the blind fishes swim
At the bottom o' the sea.
And aye he grew and higher he grew
And sae tall he seemed to be
Till the tapmost mast a' that bonnie ship
Nae taller was than he.
He struck the tapmast wi' his haund
And kicked the mainmast doon,
And he broke that bonnie ship in twa
And a' the folk were drooned.
This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is
known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio....more
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