Fair Maid on the Shore
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
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Microfiche
Series
(Monographs)
Photographic
Film
Corporation
Upper East 25th St, New Webb, Gl.
Page [15] | recto
Mist and Sunshine
[FAIR] MAID ON THE SHORE.
(A New World Ballad)
It’s of a fair maiden who lived all alone,
And the moons they shone gentle and clear, O.
And all she could find for to ease her sad mind
Was to wander alone on the rocky old shore, old shore,
Was to wander alone on the shore.
And there was a sea-captain who sailed a fine ship,
He had sailed the North seas all around, O.
“O, I’ll die! O, I’ll die!” that young captain did cry,
“If I don’t get that maid on the rocky old shore, old shore,
If I don’t get that maid on the shore.”
“Well I have got silver and I have got gold
And a-plenty of costly fine ware, O,
Well I’ll give half to you, oh me gallant young crew,
If you fetch me that girl who walks on the rocky old shore, old shore,
If you fetch me that girl on the shore.”
The steward, he ran and he lowered the boat,
And quickly he rowed it to shore, O.
Saying, “Ma’am if you please will you enter on board
For to view a fine cargo of costly ware, o-ware,
For to view a fine cargo of ware.”
15
Page [16] | verso
Mist and Sunshine
By coaxing, persuading, she entered the boat,
And the moons they shone gentle and clear, O.
And she sat herself down in the stern of the boat
And it’s off for the Alba the sailors did steer, o-steer,
And it’s off for the ship they did steer.
And when they arrived alongside of the ship
The captain he spat out his chew-o.
Saying, “First you will lie in my arms all this night
And then I’ll hand you to me jolly young crew, o-crew,
Then I’ll hand you right back to me crew.”
“Oh thank you, oh thank you,” the maiden replied,
“Oh that’s just what I’ve been awaiting for, O,
For I’ve grown so weary of my maidenhead
As I walked all alone on the rocky old shore, old shore,
As I walked all alone on the shore.”
So she sat herself down in the stern of the ship,
How the moons the shone gentle and clear-o,
She sang them so sweet, so neat and complete,
She sung the sailors and captain right off to sleep, to sleep,
She sung sailors and captain to sleep.
And she robbed ‘em of silver, she robbed ‘em of gold,
She plundered their bright costly ware-o.
And the captain’s bright sword she took for an oar
As she rowed herself back to her rocky old shore, old shore,
As she rowed herself back to her shore.
16
Page [17] | recto
Mist and Sunshine
“Well, were my men stupid or were my men drunk
Or were my men deep in despair-o?
For to let you away with your beauty so gay.”
And the sailors all wished that that sweet maid was there, o-there,
How the sailors all wished she was there.”
“No, your men they weren’t stupid, your men they weren’t drunk,
Your men weren’t so deep in despair-o
For I’ve robbed you of silver, I’ve robbed you of gold
And again I’m a maid on my rocky old shore, old shore,
And again I’m a maid on my shore.”
17
About
[The] Maid on the Shore is loosely inspired by the story of captain John Cutter, the former captain of the M.A.S Dauntless, of the lost Aurora Expedition.
Kennieth Cistiansen 337 A.A. | Museum of the Known World
Meta
Citations
1: https://mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs/themaidontheshore.html
2: https://archive.org/details/cihm_88093/mode/2up
3: https://archive.org/details/decimal19v1dewe/page/n11/mode/2up
A captain offers half of his wealth--"gold and [...] silver"--to his crew, to lure a young woman on board his ship, but she turns the table on all of them, and keeps her liberty, taking with her all the “gold and [...] silver” on board.
Title
[Fair] Maid on the Shore
Songwrite
Unknown
Published In
Date
35 A.A.
Medium
Ballad book, ballad, song, codex
Classification (s)
Microfilm, codex, ballad book
Accession Number
35.178.3022
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