Come, all you pretty fair maids, a line to you I'll write: In ploughing of the ocean I take a great delight. Our land lady fears no danger, nor danger does she know, While we poor jolly sailor lands plought on, the ocean through. When labouring men come home at night, they tell the girls fine tales, What they have been doing, all in the new cornfields. 'Tis a-cutting of the grass so short 'tis all that they can do, While we poor jolly sailors bold ploughs on the ocean through. Here's the night as dark as any pitch, and the wind begins to blow, Our captain he commanded us, "All hands turn out below." Our captain he commanded us our goodly ship to guard: "Jump up aloft, my lively lads, and strike topgallant yard." You see a storm is rising, and we are all confound, Looking out every moment that we shall all be drowned. Cheer up! never be fainthearted; we shall see our girls again; In spite of all our danger we'll plough the raging main. So now the war's all over, and we are safe on shore, We'll sing, and we will dance, my boys, as we have done before. We'll sing and we will dance, my boys, and spend our money free, And when our gold it is all gone, we'll boldly go to sea.

Source: Journal of the [English] Folk-Song Society, Vol. 7, No. 27 (1923)

Martyn Windham-Read brought this song to life for The Valiant Sailor, the companion album to The Valiant Sailor about “sea songs, ballads, and prose passages illustrating life on the lower deck in Nelson’s Navy”.

The words here appear in the Journal of the [English] Folk-Song Society, Vol. 7, No. 27 (1923) with the title Come All You Pretty Fair Maids. H. E. D. Hammond transcribed the singing of Joseph Elliott at Todber, 1905. Hammond notes the curious melody:

The strong G major effect of the second and third phrases in this hexatonic tune, and the Dorian effect of the first and fourth phrases together with the absence of the F make it a very unusual air. It has been thought best to omit a key-signature in this case.

This a difficult song to track down as the Roud index is disorganized. Many songs appear related such as Joanna Colcord’s Sailors’ Come-All-Ye ([[book:roll-and-go-colcord|Songs of the American Sailormen]], 1924). Nevertheless, the words differ significantly from:

  • Three Jolly Sailor Boys: 1609(?). I am a jolly rover [or sailor boy(s)], Just lately come on shore…
  • Jolly Sailor Bold: 1898. Walsh’s Patriotic and Naval Songster. It’s when young men come home at night, they tell their girls fine tales…
  • Jolly Sailors Bold: 1928. Nova Scotia. We spend our money freely, And go to sea for more…