Jack Munro, Lyric Variant 03

This item is part of the I. G. Greer Folksong Collection which consists of more than 300 individual song titles and their variants as collected by Isaac Garfield Greer (1881-1967) from informants, primarily in Ashe, Wilkes and Watauga counties. The collection includes manuscripts, typescript transcriptions produced by Dr. Greer’s clerical staff, and handwritten musical notations. Songs range from traditional Child Ballads, traditional English and Scottish ballads as well as their American variants, to 19th century popular music to musical compositions of local origin.

Ballads, English

Male impersonators--Songs and music

Love--Songs and music

Marriage--Songs and music

Soldiers--Songs and music

Sailors--Songs and music

Jack the Sailor, Poor Jack is Gone a-Sailing, Jacky, the Sailor Boy, War Song, The Brisk Young Plow Boy, Men's Clothes I Will Put On, The Banks of the Nile, The Sailor's Sweetheart, Lily Oh, Jackie Fraisure, The Merchant's Daughter, Jackie Frazier, Poor Jack's Gone to War, Jack Went A-Sailing

AC.113 Isaac Garfield (I.G.) Greer Papers and Recordings

W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Appalachian State University

Greer, I. G. (Isaac Garfield), 1881-1967

PDF

English

Text

The Soldier Lass

Poor Jack has gone a sailing with trouble in his mind,
A leaving in this country his darling girl behind,
There was a wealthy merchant in London he did dwell,
And he had an only daughter the truth to you I’ll tell.

This lady she was courted by gents of high degree,
She loved none but Jack the sailor who ploughs the raging sea
If this be true my daughter of what I’ve heard of thee,
Then Jack he shall be banished and you confined shall be.

Oh, Pa, you may have my body, my heart you can’t confine,
There is none but Jack, the sailor, can win thisheart of mine,
She went into the tavern to dress in men’s array,
And unto the ship she started to convey herself away.

Before you come on board sir, your name I’d like to know,
She smiled within her countenance they call me Jack Monroe,
Your waist it is tooslender, your fingers they are small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy to face the cannon ball.

My waist is very slender, my fingers they are small,
But it never makes me tremble to see ten thousand fall,
The drum began to beat, the fife began to play,
Unto the field of battle they all did march away.

The wars all being ended, she took a circle round
Among the dead and wounded her darling boy she found,
She took him in her arms and carried him to town,
And sent for London doctors to heal his bloody wound.

Brown, Older Ballads - Mostly British - 99 Randolph, 42 Cox, 98 Laws, N 7 Combs, 99 Sharp, 65

113_JackMunro_Lyric_03