> Folk Music > Songs > Jolly Jack the Sailor / Jack the Sailor Lad

Jolly Jack the Sailor / Jack the Sailor Lad

[ Roud 1785 ; Ballad Index RcJoJaSa ; trad.]

Bob Hart sang Jolly Jack the Sailor Lad in his home in Snape, Suffolk to Bill Leader in 1969. This recording was included in 1998 on his Musical Traditions anthology A Broadside. Rod Stradling noted:

Seemingly a local song. Sharp collected it from William Porter in Ely, Cambridgeshire, in 1911, and George Ling recorded it for Keith Summers—now available on the Voice of the People series (TSCD662). Roud has no other instances—funny, it sounded familiar to us when Bob first sang it.

George Ling sang Jolly Jack the Sailor in the home of his daughter, Iris Williams, Croydon, London, on 28 April 1975 to Keith Summers. This recording was released in 1977 on the Ling Family’s Topic album Singing Traditions of a Suffolk Family and was included in 1998 on the Topic anthology of “Jackie Tar at sea and on shore” We’ve Received Orders to Sail (The Voice of the People Volume 12).

John Goodluck sang Jack the Sailor Lad on his 1976 Sweet Folk and Country album Speed the Plough. He noted:

A happy little song I learnt from Bob Hart of Snape. Concerns a young sailor on his leave and heading for his bride to be, the tune gives it away as being of music hall origin.

Lyrics

Bob Hart sings Jolly Jack the Sailor Lad

I’m Jolly Jack the sailor lad, on board a man-of-war.
I’ve been away for three long years, but now I’ve come on shore.
I’ve come on shore for the girl I love far dearer than me life
Won’t she jump for joy when she hear the news
I’m going to make her me wife.

Chorus (after each verse):
She’s as pretty as a picture and as sweet as the new-mown hay.
Far brighter than the stars that shine, go singing all the day.
For she knows I loves her dearly and dearly she love me
Won’t she jump for joy when she hear the news
Her Jack’s come home from sea.

She writes me lots of letters when I’m away at sea,
In which she says, “Dear Jack, me boy, I think of you night and day.
I think of you night and day, me boy, wherever you may be,
Whether it’s in your bunk or on the deck,
It’s all the same to me.”

I’ll jump aboard a railway train that’s bound for Lincolnshire,
And when I think of me own true love a-waiting for me there,
We’ll set the bells a-ringing down by old Lincoln-side,
And this very day this young sailor lass
Shall become a young sailor’s bride.

George Ling sings Jolly Jack the Sailor

It’s Jolly Jack the sailor on board of a man-o-war,
He’d been away for seven long years and now he’s come on shore.
He’s come on shore for the one he loves, who live down Lincolnshire,
And won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
Jack has come home from sea.

She’s as pretty as a picture, as fair as the new-born hay,
Far brighter than the stars that shine; come sing it all the day.
I said I loved her dearly and dearly she loves me,
Won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
Jack has come home from sea.

I will jump into a railway train and ride to my house dear,
I will steer away to my own true love, who lives in Lincolnshire.
We will set the bells a-ringing, for dearly she love me,
Won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
Jack has come home from sea.

She’s as pretty as a picture, as fair as the new-born hay,
Far brighter than the stars that shine; come sing it all the day.
And I said I loved her dearly and dearly she loved me,
Won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
Jack has come home from sea.

John Goodluck sings Jolly Jack the Sailor

Chorus (after each verse):
She’s as pretty as a picture and as sweet as the new mown hay,
Far brighter than the stars that shine, goes singing all the day,
For I know she loves me dearly and dearly I loves she
And won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
Her Jacks come home from sea.

I’m Jolly Jack the sailor lad on board a man of war,
I’ve been away for three long years but now I’ve come ashore.
I’ve come on shore with a girl I love far dearer than me life
And won’t she jump for joy when she hears the news,
I’m going to make her me wife.

I’ll jump aboard a railway train that’s bound for Devonshire
And when I think of me own true love awaiting for me there.
We’ll set the bells a ringing down by old Lincolns side
And this very day this young sailor’s lass
Shall become a young sailor’s bride.