Streets of Laredo, Spanish Ladies, Unfortunate Rake

 Just because I cannot sing does not mean I will not. 

Unfortunate Rake

"The Unfortunate Lad", also known as "The Unfortunate Rake", is a traditional folk ballad (Roud 2; Laws Q26), which through the folk process has evolved into a large number of variants.

As I was a walking down by the “Lock”,

As I was walking one morning of late,

Who did I spy but my own dear comrade,

Wrapp'd in flannel, so hard is his fate.

Chorus.

Had she but told me when she disordered me,

Had she but told me of it at the time,

I might have got salts and pills of white mercury,

But now I'm cut down in the height of my prime.

I boldly stepped up to him and kindly did ask him,

Why he was wrapp'd in flannel so white?

My body is injured and sadly disordered,

All by a young woman, my own heart's delight.

My father oft told me, and of[ten] times chided me,

And said my wicked ways would never do,

But I never minded him, nor ever heeded him,

[I] always kept up in my wicked ways.

Get six jolly fellows to carry my coffin,

And six pretty maidens to bear up my pall,

And give to each of them bunches of roses,

That they may not smell me as they go along.

[Over my coffin put handsful of lavender,

Handsful of lavender on every side,

Bunches of roses all over my coffin,

Saying there goes a young man cut down in his prime.]

Muffle your drums, play your pipes merrily,

Play the death [dead] march as you go along.

And fire your guns right over my coffin,

There goes an unfortunate lad to his home.

Streets of Laredo

"Streets of Laredo" (Laws B01, Roud 23650), also known as the "Cowboy's Lament", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying cowboy tells his story to another cowboy. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo As I walked out in Laredo one day, I spied a poor cowboy, all wrapped in white linen All wrapped in white linen and cold as the clay. "I see by your outfit, that you are a cowboy." These words he did say as I slowly passed by. "Come sit down beside me and hear my sad story, For I'm shot in the chest, and today I must die." "'Oh once in the saddle I used to go dashing, 'Oh once in the saddle I used to go gay. First down to Rosie's, and then to the card-house, Got shot through the body, and now here I lay." "Oh, beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly, And play the dead march as you carry me along; Take me to the green valley, there lay the sod o'er me, For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."

"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin, Get six pretty maidens to bear up my pall. Put bunches of roses all over my coffin, Roses to deaden the clods as they fall." "Then swing your rope slowly and rattle your spurs lowly, And give a wild whoop as you carry me along; And in the grave throw me and roll the sod o'er me. For I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong." "Go bring me a cup, a cup of cold water. To cool my parched lips", the cowboy then said. Before I returned, his spirit had departed, And gone to the round up – the cowboy was dead. We beat the drum slowly and played the fife lowly, And bitterly wept as we bore him along. For we loved our comrade, so brave, young and handsome, We all loved our comrade, although he'd done wrong.

Spanish Ladies

"Spanish Ladies" (Roud 687) is a traditional British naval song, describing a voyage from Spain to the Downs from the viewpoint of ratings of the Royal Navy.

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies, (alt: "...to Spanish ladies")
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain; (alt: "...to ladies of Spain;")
     For we have received orders (alt: "...'re under orders")
     For to sail to old England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again. (alt: "And we may ne'er see you fair ladies again.")

(Chorus:)
We'll rant and we'll roar, like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas; (alt: "We'll range and we'll roam all on the salt seas;")
     Until we strike soundings
     In the Channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues. (alt: "34" or "45".^[8])

Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at the sou'west, my boys, (alt: "We hove our ship to, with the wind from sou'west, boys,")
Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear; (alt: "...deep soundings to take;" "...for to make soundings clear;")
     Then we filled the main topsail (alt: "'Twas 45 (or 55) fathoms with a white sandy bottom")
     And bore right away, my boys, (alt: "So we squared our main yard")
And straight up the Channel of old England did steer. (alt: "And up channel did make." or "...did steer")

So the first land we made, it is called the Deadman, (alt: "The first land we sighted was callèd the Dodman")
Next Ram Head, off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and the Wight; (alt: "Next Rame Head off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and Wight;")
     We sailèd by Beachy, (alt: "We sailed by Beachy / by Fairlight and Dover")
     By Fairly and Dungeness,
And then bore away for the South Foreland light. (alt: "Until we brought to for..." or "And then we bore up for...")

Now the signal it was made for the Grand Fleet to anchor (alt: "Then the signal was made...")
All in the Downs that night for to meet; (alt: "...that night for to lie;")
     Then stand by your stoppers, (alt: "Let go your shank painter, / Let go your cat stopper")
     See clear your shank painters,
Hawl all your clew garnets, stick out tacks and sheets. (alt: "Haul up your clewgarnets, let tack and sheets fly")

Now let every man take off his full bumper, (alt: "Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper,")
Let every man take off his full bowl; (alt: "And let ev'ry man drink off his full glass;")
     For we will be jolly (alt: "We'll drink and be jolly")
     And drown melancholy,
With a health to each jovial and true hearted soul. (alt: "And here's to the health of each true-hearted lass.")