“Molly, Lovely Molly”

Description

Molly hears a voice at her window; it is her old love returned. She bids him leave; he has courted other women. He replies that it was his master's orders which took him away. His ship leaves tomorrow; will she come with him? She agrees to do so

Notes

Some versions of The Cruel Ship's Carpenter [Laws P36] share a title and/or metrical form with this ballad. The plots are so completely different, however, that I would not even have noted the similarity had not there been a note in the Henry collection pointing out the (lack of) common material. - RBW

References

  1. SHenry H557, pp. 478-479, "Molly, Lovely Molly" (1 text, 1 tune)
  2. Roud #9456
  3. BI, HHH557

About

Author: unknown
Earliest date: 1934 (Sam Henry collection)
Keywords: love separation reunion
Found in: Ireland