Page 27
after the Steel-Eye Span version

    Dark-Eyed Sailor, The

    by trad
    [D] As I roved out one evening [Bm] fair
    it bein' the [D] summertime to [G] take the [D] air
    I spied a [D7] sailor and a [G] lady [D] gay,
    and I [Bm] stood to li- [D] sten
    [D] and i stood to [G] li- [D] sten to [D] hear what [A7] they would [D] say.

    he said "fair lady, why do you roam
    for the day is spent 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
    but the other's rollin'
    but the other's rollin' 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 the winter's morning
    like the winter's morning, the hills are white with snow."

    she said "i'll never forsake my dear
    although we're parted this many a year
    genteel 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 grief and woe
    sayin' "william, william, i have gold in store
    for my dark-eyed sailor
    for my dark-eyed sailor has proved his honour long"

    and 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.