Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Fair Maid on the Shore / The Sea Captain (Roud No. 181) / Broomfield Wager / The Broomfield Hill (Child No. 43) - Sung by Mr. W. R. Lowers of Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 17, 1939.
Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_30_Lowers_E_SeaCaptain
Notes by Kevin W.:
This song must go back to a British broadside as all traditional texts are very similar, but so far none has come to light. It has rarely been found in America but enjoyed some popularity in Canada's maritime provinces.
It is a retelling of The Broomfield Wager or Broomfield Hill (Child 43) in which a knight makes a bet that a girl won't be able to come to him in the fields and return back a virgin. An old witch advises her to use the magical properties of the broom flowers to put him to sleep which she does. She places a ring on his finger and leaves, thus proving that she'd been there and won the wager.
In the last stanza of this recording I hear "weep". But it really should be sleep. In the complete song she sings them to sleep, then takes the captain's gold, his broadsword and a small boat and rows back to the shore.
Song transcription:
There was a fair damsel crossed in love
Her heart sunk down in despair-o
And all she could find to ease her sweet mind
Was standing alone on the shore-o, shore
Was standing alone on the shore
There was a sea captain sailing that day
The wind blew high and fairly
I'll die, I'll die the sea captain did cry
If I don't gain that maid on the shore-o, shore
If I don't gain that maid on the shore
I have gold and I have jewels
And I have costly ware-o
And all will I give to the jolly sea boys
If they'll bring me that maid on the shore-o, shore
If they'll gain me that maid on the shore
With many persuations they got her on board
The captain he set her a chair-o
Invited her down to the cabin below
Saying fare you well sorrow and care-o, care
Saying fare you well sorrow and care
I'll sing you a song if you don't think it's long
The captain and sailors did stare-o
She sang it so sweet, so neat and complete
Till the captain and sailors did weep-o, weep
Till the captain and sailors did weep
She...
(There should be more of the song. Unfortunately the recording ends here)
[ She robbed them of jewels, she robbed them of gold,
She robbed them of costly array O.
Of the captain's broad sword she made her an oar,
And she paddled her boat to the shore, O shore,
And she paddled her boat to the shore.
O were my men sleeping, or were my men mad,
Or were they all sunk in despair O?
She deluded yourself, myself also,
And again she's a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again she's a maid on the shore."
"Your men were not sleeping, your men were not mad.
Nor were they sunk in despair O.
I deluded your men and yourself also,
And again I'm a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again I'm a maid on the shore." ] [*]
[*] The missing ending stanzas as found in a similar text in "Ballads and Songs from Utah" (1961) by Lester A. Hubbard, as collected from Mr. James Jepson of Hurricane, Washington County, Utah, USA, on August 11, 1947.
Fair Maid on the Shore / The Sea Captain (Roud No. 181) / Broomfield Wager / The Broomfield Hill (Child No. 43) - Sung by Mr. W. R. Lowers of Ivydale, Clay County, West Virginia, USA. Recorded by Prof. Louis Watson Chappell on August 17, 1939.
Link to original recording: https://folkmusic.lib.wvu.edu/catalog/Chappell_30_Lowers_E_SeaCaptain
Notes by Kevin W.:
This song must go back to a British broadside as all traditional texts are very similar, but so far none has come to light. It has rarely been found in America but enjoyed some popularity in Canada's maritime provinces.
It is a retelling of The Broomfield Wager or Broomfield Hill (Child 43) in which a knight makes a bet that a girl won't be able to come to him in the fields and return back a virgin. An old witch advises her to use the magical properties of the broom flowers to put him to sleep which she does. She places a ring on his finger and leaves, thus proving that she'd been there and won the wager.
In the last stanza of this recording I hear "weep". But it really should be sleep. In the complete song she sings them to sleep, then takes the captain's gold, his broadsword and a small boat and rows back to the shore.
Song transcription:
There was a fair damsel crossed in love
Her heart sunk down in despair-o
And all she could find to ease her sweet mind
Was standing alone on the shore-o, shore
Was standing alone on the shore
There was a sea captain sailing that day
The wind blew high and fairly
I'll die, I'll die the sea captain did cry
If I don't gain that maid on the shore-o, shore
If I don't gain that maid on the shore
I have gold and I have jewels
And I have costly ware-o
And all will I give to the jolly sea boys
If they'll bring me that maid on the shore-o, shore
If they'll gain me that maid on the shore
With many persuations they got her on board
The captain he set her a chair-o
Invited her down to the cabin below
Saying fare you well sorrow and care-o, care
Saying fare you well sorrow and care
I'll sing you a song if you don't think it's long
The captain and sailors did stare-o
She sang it so sweet, so neat and complete
Till the captain and sailors did weep-o, weep
Till the captain and sailors did weep
She...
(There should be more of the song. Unfortunately the recording ends here)
[ She robbed them of jewels, she robbed them of gold,
She robbed them of costly array O.
Of the captain's broad sword she made her an oar,
And she paddled her boat to the shore, O shore,
And she paddled her boat to the shore.
O were my men sleeping, or were my men mad,
Or were they all sunk in despair O?
She deluded yourself, myself also,
And again she's a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again she's a maid on the shore."
"Your men were not sleeping, your men were not mad.
Nor were they sunk in despair O.
I deluded your men and yourself also,
And again I'm a maid on the shore, O shore,
And again I'm a maid on the shore." ] [*]
[*] The missing ending stanzas as found in a similar text in "Ballads and Songs from Utah" (1961) by Lester A. Hubbard, as collected from Mr. James Jepson of Hurricane, Washington County, Utah, USA, on August 11, 1947.
