Historical Folk Lyrics
"The Press Gang"

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There was a rich merchant in London did dwell,
He had one only daughter, none could her excel.
Rich lords came to court her, she slighted them all,
She fancied her sailor, he was proper and tall.

When her old father came this for to hear,
'Twas on her love William his vengeance did swear:
You can get better matches your arms to embrace
Than to marry a sailor your friends to disgrace.

0 pardon me, father, 0 pardon me, sir,
There is none in this world but a sailor for me;
A sailor's my true love and I'll be his bride,
If I don't gain him my life I'd destroy.

What, what, cried her father, what, what, he did say,
You must court him in private and speak not of me,
And when all things is ready I'll surely agree.

As the lady and the sailor walked by the sea-shore,
The press-gang surrounded him and half a score more.
They pressed my own true love and they tore him from me,
Instead of great mirth 'twas a sorrowful day.

This lady she dressed herself up in men's clothes,
Straightway to the captain she immediately goes.
She signed as a sailor and it fell to her lot
To lie with her true love, but he knew her not.

As the lady arid the sailor was ploughing the deep,
Said the lady to the sailor: You sigh in your sleep.
I once had a true love, the sailor did say,
'Twas by her cruel father I was sent away.

I am an astrologer, brought up by my pen,
Astrologer's books I do read now and then.
If you tell me your name I'll cast out your lot
And see if you'll gain that fair lady or not.

He told her his name and the hour of his birth.
She says: You were born for right joy and mirth;
You shall gain this fair one in spite of them all,
So here is your Ellen just now at your call.

This couple got married before the ship's crew
Which proves this fair damsel to be constant and true;
And they're now sailing over to old England's fair shore
And here's a fig for her old father she'll never see more.
This song is from the album "Folk Songs From Newfoundland".