“Johnny Todd”
Description
Johnny Todd ships out, leaving his sweetheart in Liverpool. She meets another sailor, who offers to marry her. She accepts; Todd returns to find his love married. The moral: "Do not leave your love like Johnny/Marry her before you go"
Notes
I include the cross-reference because the verses in which the rival sailor courts the lady seem to be lifted from a broken-token song such as "John Riley (I)". - PJS
Interestingly, the Montgomerie text also has this bit, so it appears to be genuinely traditional.
The group Ossian has recorded a version of this in which Johnny Todd returns to his girl. They admit, however, to having rewritten the ending. To my mind, it doesn't add much.... - RBW
Cross references
- cf. "John (George) Riley (I)" (lyrics)
Recordings
- Bob Roberts, "Johnny Todd" (on LastDays)
References
- Hammond-Belfast, p. 9, "Johnny Todd" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Silber-FSWB, p. 174, "Johnny Todd" (1 text)
- Montgomerie-ScottishNR 106, "(Johnnie Johnson's ta'en a notion)" (1 text)
- DT, JOHNTODD*
- Roud #1102
- BI, FSWB174A