Sweet Trinity (The Golden Vanity), Lyric Variant 04

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

Naval battles--Songs and music

Betrayal--Songs and music

The Golden Vanitee, The Spanish Canoe, The Golden Fenadier, The Lowlands Low, Golden Vallady, The Golden Furnity, The Golden Victory, The Mary Golden Tree, The Weeping Willow Tree, The Merry Golden Tree, Lonesome Low, The Green Willow Tree, The Goulden Vanitee, The Gouden Vanity, Sailing in the Lowlands Low, The French Gallerie O, He Had a Little Tool, The Kumadee, Low in the Lowlands, Low, The Little Cabin Boy, The Gold China Tree, The Lowland Sea, Turkish Reveille, The Lonesome Sea, Sinking in the Lonesome Sea, The Turkish Rebilee, The Bold Grandee, The Pirate Ship, A Ship Set Sail for North America, There was a Bold Captain, Sailing on the Lowland Low, The Turkey-rogherlee and the Yellow Golden Tree, The Turkish Revoloo, Lowland Lonesome Low

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

Song texts

English

Text

The Golden Willow Tree

There was a little ship in the South Amerikee
That went by the name of the Golden Willow Tree
As she sailed on the low-land lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

She hadn't been a-sailin' more'n a week or two
Till she came in sight in sight of the Turkish Revoloo
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

The Captain cried,"Oh, what shall I do,
For yonder comes the Turkish Revoloo!"
As she sailed on the lowland,lonesome,low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

Up stepped a little cabin-boy, "What will you give me,
If I will sink her in the salt-water sea?"
As she sailed on the lowland,lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

"I have a house and I have land,
And I have an only daughter you may have at your command,
If your will sind her in the bottom of the sea,
As she sails in the salt-water sea."

He bent to his breast and out swam he,
Till he reached the side of the Turkish Revolee,
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

He had a little instrument a-purpose for the use,
And cut nine gashes in the salt water juice,
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

Some a-playin' cards and some a-playin' checks,
And some a-dancin' on the salt-water decks,
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

Some with their hats and some with their caps,
A-tryin' for to stop the salt-water gaps,
As she sunked in the lowland lonesome low,
As she sunk in the salt-water sea.

He bent to his breast and back swam he,
Till he reached the side of the Golden Willow Tree,
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

"Captain, will you be as good as your word,
And will you take me back on board?"
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

"I will neither be as good as my word,
Nor will I take you back on board."
As she sailed on the lowland lonesome, low,
As she sailed on the salt-water sea.

If it were not for the men that you have with you,
I'd treat your ship like the Turkish Revoloo,
And sink her in the bottom of the low-land,low,
As sink her in the bottom of the sea."

He bowed his head and down sank he,
And bid farewell to the Golden Willow Tree,
As he sank in the low-land, lonesome, low,
As he sank in the salt water sea.

Child. 286 Brown. Older Ballads - Mostly British - 47

113_SweetTrinity_GoldenVanity_Lyric_04_ocr