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The Dark-Eyed Sailor

Date 23 May 1974
Track ID 39104
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1974.70.A4

Original Tape ID

SA1974.070

Summary

A broken-token song, in which Phoebe meets a dark-eyed stranger who turns out to be her long-lost lover; he proves his identity with the other half of the broken ring they split seven years before. They get married and settle down.

Norman Norquoy heard the song from John Sabiston of Flotta, who died a long time before.

Item Notes

7 verses of 5 lines (hesitation and tape stop in verse 4).

See:
'Tocher' 43 (1991) pp. 39-41
Greig-Duncan vol. 5, pp. 406-408
Ord pp. 323-324
'Irish Street Ballads' (C. O Lochlainn, 1978) pp. 10-11
'Sam Henry's Songs of the People' (G. Huntington, 1990) p. 318
'Traditional Ballad Airs' vol. 2 (W. Christie, 1881) pp. 100-101
Murray Collection (Broadsides), Glasgow University Library, mu23-y1:016
'Folk-Song of the North-East' (G. Greig, K. Goldstein & A. Argo, 1963 reprint) art. CXII
'Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland' (E. MacColl & P. Seeger, 1977) pp. 126-128

Recording Location

County - Orkney

Parish - South Ronaldsay

Island - South Ronaldsay

Village/Place - Kirk

Language

English, Scots

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R265 GD1037 LN35

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good