The Dark-Eyed Sailor
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1974.70.A4
Original Tape ID
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
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good