Willy O!

DESCRIPTION: Willy sails to the Bay of Biscay. Seven years later, he came to the girl's door. He says he is a ghost. The cock crows. He says his ghost will guard her. As he disappears he tells her "Weep no more for your Willy O"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1914 (Greig/Duncan2); c.1867 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.15(136))
LONG DESCRIPTION: Seven years ago Willy went "on board the tender" and sailed to the Bay of Biscay. He does not answer Mary's letters. One night he comes to her bed-chamber door. She asks why he is so pale. He says the clay has changed his blushes. They discuss their old courtship. The cock crows. He says his ghost will guard her though his body lies in the West Indies. As he disappears he tells her "Weep no more for your Willy O"
KEYWORDS: ghost separation death nightvisit love bird
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber)) Canada(Mar) Ireland US(NE)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Greig/Duncan2 338, "Willie O" (1 text)
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, pp. 113-114, "Willie O" (2 texts, 1 tune)
McBride-FlowerOfDunaffHillAndMoreTradSongsInnishowen 6, "The Bay of Biscay O" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morton/Maguire-ComeDayGoDayGodSendSunday 3, pp. 5,100,155-156, "Willie's Ghost" (2 texts, 1 tune)
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, p. 255, "Willie-O" (1 text, 1 tune, composite)
Roud #22567
RECORDINGS:
Bill Cassidy, "Biscayo" (on IRTravellers01)
Robert Cinnamond, "Ghost of Willie-O" (on IRRCinnamond02)
Nora Cleary, "Willie-O" (on Voice03)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.15(136), "Willy O!" ("Come all you young maids that's fair handsome"), W. Birmingham (Dublin), c.1867; also Harding B 19(86), Firth c.12(293), "Willy O!"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Rise Up Quickly and Let Me In (The Ghostly Lover)" (theme)
NOTES [257 words]: Broadside Bodleian 2806 c.15(136) is the basis for the description.
Jim Carroll's notes to Bill Cassidy's "Biscayo" on "From Puck to Appleby: Songs of Irish Travellers in England," Musical Traditions Records MTCD325-6 (2003) say that Hugh Shields believes the main source of the "Willy O" broadside is "Sweet William's Ghost" (Child 77). I wonder if Shields meant that; except for the night-visiting ghost and the bird singing in Child 77.F or the moorcock announcing day in Paddy Tunney's "Lady Margaret" ("The Voice of the People, Vol 3: O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green," Topic TSCD 653 (1998)), I don't find a connection.
The broadside version of "Willy O!" has distinguishing lines that include
As Mary lay sleeping, her true love came creeping....
They spent that night in deep discoursing,
Concerning their courtship sometime ago....
John Reilly's "Adieu Unto All True Lovers" ("Rise Up Quickly and Let Me In") and Cecilia Costello's "The Grey Cock": VaughanWilliams/Lloyd-PenguinBookOfEnglishFolkSongs, pp. 52-53, "The Grey Cock, or The Lover's Ghost" adds this verse from the broadside.
O Willy dear where is the blushes,
That you had some time ago,
Mary dear the clay has changed them,
For I am the ghost of your Willy O.
Ewan MacColl's version of Cecilia Costello's "The Grey Cock" on Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, "The Grey Cock" (on ENMacCollSeeger02) adds this verse from the broadside:
When she saw him disappearing,
Down her cheeks the tears did flow
Mary dear, sweetheart and darling
Weep no more for your Willy O. - BS
Last updated in version 6.4
File: CrMa113

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