Servant Man, The

DESCRIPTION: "My father kept a servant man." A gril loves him. Her father determines to send him to sea. She says she will be true even if she must go betting. She "saw his colours come and go." He returns, having risen from apprentice to butler, and marries her.
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1911 (Butterworth Collection)
KEYWORDS: servant love separation reunion drink
FOUND IN: Britain(England)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Butterworth/Dawney-PloughboysGlory, p. 42, "The Servant Man" (1 text, 1 tune)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Bonny Sailor Boy" [Laws M22] (plot)
NOTES [53 words]: This reminds me of many "Ballads of Family Opposition to Lovers," notably "The Bonny Sailor Boy" [Laws M22]. But it is short and peculiar enough that it is not obvious which song of this type it might derive from; the lyrics are often confused. Roud assigns it its own number, and I rather hesitantly do the same. - RBW
Last updated in version 2.5
File: BuDa042

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