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It's of a gallant lady,
Just in the prime of youth;
She dearly loved a sailor,
In fact, she loved to wed;
And how to get to sea with him,
The way she did not know;
All for to see this pretty place,
Called Canadee-I-O.
She bargained with a sailor,
All for a purse of gold;
And straightway he had taken her,
Right down into the hold;
"I'll dress you up in sailor suit,
Your colors shall be blue;
And you soon will see that pretty place,
Called Canadee-I-O."
When our mate had heard this,
He fell into a rage;
Likewise our ship's company,
Was willing to engage;
"I'll tie your hands and feet, my love,
And overboard you'll go;
And you'll never see the pretty place,
Called Canadee-I-O."
And when the captain heard this,
"This thing shall never be;
For if you drown that fair maid,
Hanged sure you'll be;
I'll take her to my cabin,
Her colors shall be blue;
And she soon will see that pretty place,
Called Canadee-I-O."
They had not arrived in Canada,
More than the space of half a year;
Before the Captain married her,
And called her his very dear;
She can dress in silk or satin,
She caught a gallant show;
She was one of the fairest ladies,
In Canadee-I-O.
Come all ye, young ladies,
Whoever you may be,
To be sure and follow your true love,
If ever he goes to sea;
And if your mate, he do prove false,
You're captain he'll prove true,
And you'll see the honor I have gained
By wearing of the blue.
Collected by MacEdward Leach and published as #90 in Folk Ballads And Songs Of The Lower Labrador Coast by The National Museum of Canada (Ottawa, 1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
The YouTube video above features an excellent performance of a variant by Tony from Port St. Mary on the Isle of Man.
