Love is the traitor of a sailor's life
He cause the girls to loose their hearts' delight
He cause them to sigh, he cause them to mourn
All for my true love, never to return
Father, father, build me a boat
Out on the ocean I will float
There I'll hail each ship as I pass by
There I'll enquire for my true sailor boy
She went a-sailin' on down the main
She met three ships just out from Spain
There she hailed each ship as she passed by
There she enquired for her true sailor boy
Captain, captain, tell me true
Do my sweet William sail with you
Oh, no fair maid he don't sail here
He's drownded in the Gulf my dear
She ran her boat up against a rock
Thought to all her soul she'd broke her heart
She wrang her hands and tore her hair
Just like some lady in despair
She called for a chair to sit her down
Pen and ink she wrote it down
Oh, the end of every line she dropped a tear
End of every verse was "Oh, my dear"
Father, father, dig my grave
Place a marble stone at my head and feet
Upon my breast a turkle dove
To show to the world that I died for love
