Sailor's Advice, The (The Land of Delight)

DESCRIPTION: "As you mean to set sail for the land of delight, And in wedlock's soft hammock to swing ev'ry night... Fill your sails with affection, and your cabin with love." Hearers must avoid the "shoals of indifference," or else they will "double Cape Horn"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1807 (The American Songster, according to Thompson)
KEYWORDS: wordplay sailor love marriage warning
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Thompson-BodyBootsAndBritches-NewYorkStateFolktales, pp. 196-197, "Cape Horn" (1 text)
Roud #V4157
NOTES [54 words]: Although it uses sailing metaphors, this is not a song about sailing, and there is no reason to think the reference to Cape Horn is to the actual place; Thompson believes (correctly, I'm sure) that it is a reference to cuckodry.
Despite Thompson, I really doubt that this was ever traditional. It's just too elaborate. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.0
File: TNY196

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