My Willy sails on board the tender And where he is I do not know For seven long years I've been constantly waiting Since he crossed the Bay of Biscay-oh One night as Mary lay sleeping A knock came to her bedroom door Saying Arise arise, my dearest Mary For to earn one glimpse of your Willy-oh Young Mary rose, put on her clothing And to the bedroom door did go And there she spied her Willy standing His two pale cheeks as white as snow Oh Willy dear where are those blushes Those blushes I knew long years ago Oh Mary dear - the cold clay ashed them I am only the ghost of your Willy-oh Oh Mary dear, the dawn is breaking Don't you think it's time for me to go I am leaving you quite brokenhearted For to cross the Bay of Biscay-oh If I had all the gold and silver And all the money in Mexico I would grant it all to the king of Erin For to bring me back my Willy-oh

This song appears in theme as a mid-19th century broadside and found its way into various 20th century sea song collections. As a ballad, it seems related to Child #77 (Sweet William’s Ghost). In many versions, Willy returns to his love’s side as a ghost, asking her to weep no more.

A slightly older song shares the same name: The Bay of Biscay O.