COME AWAY MY LASSIE ©Rita Leonard original lyrics and music composed April 9, 2005 as a sea chanty based on “The Merry Men”, a story by Robert Louis Stevenson
WITH A CHEERFUL HEART IN LATE JULY,
SET FORTH FOR THE LAST TIME, FOR A-ROS, I!
TO THE SEA-GIRT FARM, RUGGED ISLES AND REEFS,
WHERE MY DARLING MARY, SO SWEET-LY SLEEPS.
AWAKEN MY LASSIE, COME MARRY WITH ME,
FOR THE ROSS AND YOUR FATHER KNOW THE SINS OF THE SEA;
‘TIS A DANGEROUS PLACE, THOUGH YOU FEEL YOU MUST STAY,
AND THE SEA TO HIM DAILY’S BEEN MAKIN’ ITS PLEA.
OH THE SEA TO HIM NIGHTLY’S BEEN MAKIN’ HER PLEA
HE’S BEEN COURTIN’ HER WELL LASS TO SET HIMSEL’ FREE.
HE’S BEEN DRINKIN’ WITH RORIE, SINS TOLD-OUT AND CONSPIRES,
FOR THE LAND GIVES HIM MEANS, THOUGH NOT WHAT HE DESIRES.
COME AWAY-WAY MY LASSIE, COME MARRY, WITH ME,
FOR THE ROSS AND YOUR FATHER KNOW THE SINS OF THE SEA;
‘TIS A DANGEROUS PLACE, THOUGH YOU FEEL YOU MUST STAY…
MARY THERE’S GRANITE TROOPS ‘LO…..THE GLASSY SURFACE ‘O THE BAY.
O YOUR MOTHER SHE DIED ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN,
THUS, YOUR FATHER BURDENED-STAYED, THOUGH THE SEA TO HIM CALLED;
BROUGHT HE TREASURES WITHIN, THIS PLAIN HOUSE THAT WAS HERS,
FROM THE BOOTY OF SAILORS, COME TO REST ON THESE SHORES.
RISING OUT OF THE MIST THEN, O’ER THE ROSS HE DID COME,
STATELY BLACK, SILENT-GRACE, OF THE SLAVE AND THE KING.
FATHER’S FRIGHT HE DID FOLLOW, RUNNING INTO THE SEA,
LIFE AND DEATH ON THESE ROCKS, TRADED FATHER AND HE.
WE’RE ALL CREATURES OF TRADES,
WEARY AGES TO GIVE,
LIKE WHITE WAVES; SKIPPER’S DAUGHTERS
TRADE THE OCEANS TO LIVE,
BE IT GHOSTLY, THE BOGLE, THE DI’EL OR THE SILKIE
ALL DO YEARN AND DESIRE,
TO RETURN TO THE SEA
WE’RE ALL CREATURES OF TRADES,
THAT THE WEARY AGES GIVE,
LIKE WHITE WAVES; SKIPPER’S DAUGHTERS
TRADE THE OCEANS TO LIVE,
BE IT GHOSTLY, THE BOGLE, MERMAN---DI’EL OR SILKIE
WE DO YEARN AND REMEMBER, AND RETURN TO THE SEA.
COME AWAY MY LASSIE©Rita Leonard original lyrics and music composed April 9, 2005 as a sea chanty based on “The Merry Men”, a story by Robert Louis Stevenson