On Board of the Victory
(The Victory / A New Song called the Victory)
As sung by Mr. Grace Clergy for Helen Creighton
I am a noble lady,
My fortune it is great,
My tongue is scarcely able
My sorrows to relate,
For the courting of a young man
Who was so dear to me,
He's ploughing the main ocean
On board of the Victory.
It's on my bed each night I lie
No comfort can I find,
The thoughts of my true love
Still running in my mind,
I think I can embrace him,
And his fond company,
My heart lies in his bosom
On board of the Victory.
His eyes were like two diamonds
Bright as the rising moon,
His cheeks were like two roses
That bloom in the month of June,
He is so neatly composed
And in ev-er-y degree
My heart lies in his bosom
On board of the Victory.
This song begins appearing as a broadside in the early 1800s. It evidently uses the name of Lord Nelson’s ship, HMS Victory, for emotional effect, but the verses have little to do with historical events. The singer’s lover has been pressed to serve aboard the ship.
The song was carried on in tradition all the way to the 1950s, where it was collected again in Canada by Helen Creighton.