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Oh, Mary had a boyfriend and Willie was his name,
It was by his cruel old uncle, as you may understand,
Who had him pressed and sent away far from his native land.
We had not long been sailing when a French ship hove in sight,
Our Captain called us all hands on deck to view that glorious sight;
Young Willie like some seaman bold got numbered in the lee,
His heart was fixed for Mary on the banks of sweet Trawlee.
The French ship hove her colours 'round and ran before the wind,
Like hearty tars and seamen bold we gained and sailed away on them;
Like hearty tars and seamen bold we gained our victory,
He's going to fight for Mary on the banks of sweet Trawlee.
Oh, now this war is over and the peace it is proclaimed,
Young Willie just returning home without a scar or stain;
Young Willie just returning home paid off so manfully,
He's going to find out Mary on the banks of sweet Trawlee.
For once I had an old sweetheart and Willie was his name,
It was by a bullet from a Frenchman's gun;
It was there your Willie fell,
And as he lay I heard him say how cruel mercy'd been.
Oh, when she heard him say these words she flew into a rage,
And wringing of her lily-white hands and tearing of her hair;
Saying, "Since my Willie is dead and gone no other I'll adore,
Through lonesome groves and valleys I'll wander for his sake."
Oh, when he heard her say these words he could no longer stand,
But flew into her lily-white arms saying, "Mary, I'm the man!"
For the bells did ring and the birds did sing, and they sang so joyfully,
To see those couple get married on the banks of sweet Trawlee.
Sung by Alphonse O'Driscoll (b.1901) of Tors Cove, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
A ballad which apparently precedes this story of Willie and Mary was collected in 1976 from Moses (Uncle Mose) Harris of Lethbridge, NL, by Genevieve Lehr and Anita Best and published as #6, The Banks Of Sweet Dundee in Come And I Will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook, pp.12-13, edited by Genevieve Lehr (University of Toronto Press © 1985/2003).
