“Cruel Was the Press Gang”

Description

"Oh! cruel was the press-gang That took my love from me; Oh! cruel was the little ship That took him out to sea; And cruel was the splinter-board That took away his leg; Now he is forced to fiddle-scrape And I am forced to beg."

Notes

Although I haven't met this in any traditional collections, it sounds so traditional that I decided to risk including it in the Index. - RBW

References

  1. Baring-Gould-MotherGoose #196, p. 137, "(Oh! cruel was the press-gang)"
  2. BI, BGMG196

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1962 (Baring-Gould-MotherGoose)