Cliff has been performing this one longer than we’ve known him!  Similar theme to “Yarmouth Town” but older; a broadside ballad dated roughly to the early 18th century has it entitled “The Fortunate Sailors Garland“, later “The Merchant’s Courtship to the Brazier’s Daughter“, but better associated with the Victorian/Edwardian period as “The Squire’s Lost Lady” it has also recently been called “Jacky Tar“, it became a fo’c’sle song and A.L. Lloyd insisted that it originated in the 18th century if not earlier and that It derives its story from an old chapbook tale of The Squire and the Farm Servant.  This song became oral tradition until sometime in the 1830s when it was published again as a broadside sheet.

Roud Number: 511
Title: “The merchant’s courtship to the brazier’s daughter. An old song”

Jos. Morneault

As a sailor was walking one fine summer day,
The squire and their lady were making their way.
And the sailor he heard the squire say,
“Tonight with you I mean to stay
With me do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.”

“You must tie a string all around your finger,
With the other end of the string hanging out the window,
And I’ll slip by and pull the string,
And you must come down and let me in
With me do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.”

Says Jack to himself, “I’ve a mind to try,
To see if a poor sailor he can’t win that prize.”
So he stole up and he pulled the string
And the lady come down and she let old Jack in
With that do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.

Well the squire came by, he was humming a song,
Thinking to himself how it wouldn’t be long.
But when he got there no string he found.
Behold, his hopes was all dashed to the ground
With that do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.

Well, early next morning, it was just getting light,
The lady jumped up the bed in a terrible fright.
For there lay Jack in his tarry old shirt,
Behold his face was all covered in dirt
And that do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.

“Oh what do you want, you tarry sailor,
Breaking in a lady’s bedroom to steal her treasure?”
“Well no,” says old Jack, “I just pulled that string
And you come down, ma’m, and let me in
With me do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.”

The sailor he says, “Oh, forgive me I pray,
I’ll steal away very quiet at the dawn of the day.”
“Oh no,” says the lady, “don’t go too far
For I never will part from me jolly Jack Tar
And that do me ama, dee me ama, do me ama day.”