Portsmouth Harbor Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me? Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me? While you’re out sailing on the deep salt sea While you’re out sailing on the deep salt sea Willie, Willie, do you ever think of me? Willie, ah Willie, do you ever call my name? Willie, ah Willie, do you ever call my name? When the storm winds are blowing and there’s thunder in the rain When the storm winds are blowing and there’s thunder in the rain Willie, Willie, do you ever call my name? Portsmouth Harbor is a cold and dreary quay Stone hard landing for a girl the likes of me Colder still is the wind come from the Bay Filled his sails when my Willie sailed away Willie, ah Willie, will I ever see thee more? Willie, ah Willie, will I ever see thee more? It’s been going on three years, coming on three more Going on three years, coming on three more Willie, Willie, will I ever see thee more? Willie, ah Willie, will you ever marry me? Willie, ah Willie, will you ever marry me? And give your name to the baby a’dandling on my knee Give your name to the baby a’dandling on my knee Willie, Willie, will you ever marry me? Portsmouth Harbor is a cold and dreary quay Stone hard landing for a girl the likes of me Colder still is the wind comes from the Bay Filled his sails when my Willie sailed away Sailed away, across the open ocean Sailed away, far across the sea Pray that someday the wind will get the notion To send my Willie back to me Willie, ah Willie, do you ever think of me?

Mermaid’s Lament As I combed my hair one day, where the river runs into the bay There I chanced to cast my eye on a fisherman was passing by I’d never seen his like before as he poled his boat along the shore Whether or no he’d fish that day, he surely stole my heart away CHORUS: Aye yi Aye yi yi Aye yi Aye yi Aye yi Aye I sang my sweetest song for him, sure my true love’s heart to win But as the morning passed to day, he made to sail his boat away And if he’d heard my song at all he could fend the magic of my call I know not just what charm he used, but it far surpassed all I could do CHORUS I’ve heard it said that mortal man is condemned to live upon the land To pay the gods for sins long done when earth and sky were very young And those who live beneath the sea are the better served to leave them be But my poor heart was struck full sore at the thought of seeing him no more CHORUS I called upon the cold north wind to blow my true love back again But as the waves began to rise, his simple boat it did capsize My sisters say that it was me who tipped his boat into the sea But if I did no tongue can tell, though I surely loved him much too well CHORUS

Wayward Wife As my mother’s only daughter, I was doused with holy water And told to pawn my rosary if the future was in doubt. When Ma she died, God save her, and in the grave they laid her, ’Twas time to seek my fortune, so to the pawn shop I set out. Now seeing such a comely lass, the broker there did make a pass. (And) Thinking matrimony might provide an easy life, I thought about what could evolve and worked to harden his resolve. He rose to the occasion and Himself took me to wife. CHORUS: Fol-di-rol-di-riddly-rye Fol-di-rol-di-ray Fol-di-rol-di-riddly-rye Fol-di-rol-di-ray With a ring upon my finger, I was inclined to linger— At least until a better opportunity should knock. One day in walks a sailor fresh off a Yankee whaler. With a wink he pawns his pocket watch and heads back to the dock. With feelings quite immodest and some gold inside my bodice, I nabbed that sailor’s pocket watch, lookin’ forward to some fun. No sooner had I left the store, my sailor spied me at the door. Gallantly he took my arm, and we set off at a run. CHORUS He led me to a tavern where the better sort would never dare To enter in to anything that smacked of honest trade. And there we both made merry a’tipplin’ on the sherry, Until the lookout hollered that it looked to be a raid. We all went helter-skelter seeking any kind of shelter, When no other but Himself it was came bursting through the door. With references off-color, he described my sailor’s mother, Which had to mean that he was keen on settling the score. CHORUS My sailor with a nimble twist did clutch some iron in his fist And faced Himself undaunted as he hollered, “Better run!” Though all was topsy-turvy, Himself was rather nervy. ’Twas clear he meant to stand his ground, and besides—he had a gun. My sailor with a jaundiced eye decided things had gone awry, And diving out the window, he took off for points unknown. But Himself was on a bender, so he shot the poor bartender. When they hauled him off to jail, I was left quite on my own. CHORUS Now sure worse things could happen to a girl who might be grapplin’ With the question of her future and what next she ought to do. With gold inside my pocket and a ship there at the dock, it Seemed that sailing to America might be the prudent move. On landing here in Baltimore, I opened up a chandlery store And though the matrons mutter that I’m but the wayward wife, I’m happy to be sporting when the sailors come a'courting, And at every chance, I raise a glass and I drink to the single life. CHORUS

Mad Jenny It's no other but Mad Jenny, with her fist raised to the sky On moonless nights she walks the strand to curse the ships she spies She mutters low so no one hears, and the winds begin to moan And sure'n the clouds'll cover the stars, the storm starts in to blow. CHORUS: Oh the waves they can be wicked when Mad Jenny's on a tear
 You can hear the sailors bellow as they bring their ships to wear And the widows light a candle and kneel down beside their bed
 For Jenny's on the strand tonight; tomorrow we'll count the dead. Once she was a beauty, was courted all around But her heart set on a sailor whose ship was outward bound And he was gone not seven days when word came from abroad Her sailor had deceived her, his love had proven false Jenny's face grew dark as death, her eyes they flashed with fire With venom on her lips she cursed the life of every sailor Woe to them who sail too close when Jenny's been about It's dashed upon the rocks they'll be before the night is out. Chorus The townsfolk tried to hang her, but the priest begged her reprieve And no one could quite prove it, though everyone believes She does the devil's business on the night the storms do blow And she it is that wrecks the ships and lays the sailors low. Chorus Now sailors are a sorry lot, what little care have they They steer their coursers 'round the world astride the salty spray They take a girl in every port, little caring how it ends But there'll be another story, when Mad Jenny takes revenge.

Twiddles When the boats all get to sailing, and the men are off and gone What about the women who are up and left alone Do you think they sit and twiddle thumbs until their men come home Well, there’s other things to twiddle when a girl’s left on her own CHORUS: And it’s twiddle-i-eye-di-eye-di-eye Twiddle-di-eye-di-aye It’s oftentimes a man will leave you broken with dismay And it’s twiddle-i-eye-di-eye-di-eye Twiddle-di-eye-di-aye But there’s other things to twiddle when your man has sailed away I remember Nelly, she was young and she was gay She won the heart of Captain Dan until he sailed away He left her high and dry with just a kiss upon the chin But as his ship went sailing out, another ship sailed in . . . CHORUS And then there was Lucinda Brown, as fair as any maid Her truelove went a’voyaging, a sailor man by trade “Oh keep the fires burning love,” those are the words he spoke. So she found herself another guy to keep that fire stoked. CHORUS Lucy Jeffers’ man came home and knocked upon the door. She was as glad to see him as she’d ever been before. He left her sleeping in the bed, but Lucy didn’t care; Cuz the poor guy in the closet sure could use a little air. CHORUS Oh you hear a lot of stories ‘bout the sailors and their sport, About how every sailor has a girl in every port But if you added two and two, you’d figure out right quick: It’s just because the lassies had a lad on every ship. CHORUS

Nasty Nell 1. Bunky he was waiting for that big old fish to strike Daydreamin’ ’bout women and the fights on Friday night He hawked a loogie o’er the side and took another chew When something starts to thrashing such as feisty fishes do No sooner Bunky cocks his head, a female form appears It’s Nasty Nell, the mermaid, just as sure as Boh is beer “Dammit, Captain,” Nelly sez, “you’ve snaggled my caboose. I’ll give you to the count of two to up and cut me loose.” 2. “Hold on, Sister,” Bunky sez, “I don’t believe we’ve met. Why don’t you just thrash until that hook gets good and set, And then I’ll haul you up on deck and won’t we have a time. A salty gal such as yourself would prob’ly suit me fine.” Now Nelly ain’t no beauty—I forgot to tell ya that. Tattoos on her biceps, and barnacles up her back, Seaweed sprouted from her chest, a scar ran cross her gut And she cursed like any blue-nose when she got her dander up: CHORUS: “Go to hell!” sez Nasty Nell, a’stubbing her cigar You’re nothing but a lily-livered lousy lump o’ lard I’d jump the bones of Davy Jones or sit on Ahab’s knee Before I’d let the likes of you lay chiggered mitts on me 3. Bunky starts to chuckle, just to see the mermaid spit Settles in his deck chair just to watch her pitch a fit. “Tell me when you’re tired, Luv,” he sez to Nasty Nell. “I don’t want you all tuckered when I ring that party bell.” “Now see here,” Nasty Nell pipes up, “this isn’t any joke. Piss me off and in a flash, I’ll up and sink your boat.” ”I like a spunky lady,” Bunky answers with a grin, And he grabs his fishing tackle, and he starts to crank her in. [And it’s] (CHORUS) 4. “There, there,” Bunky tells her, “There’s no need to feel distraught. All’s fair in love and fishing, and, well, you’re the one’s got caught.” But Nelly held a mirror up and flashed it from her hand. “I got fifty bucks sez you ain’t setting foot again on land.” With that she flipped her scaly tale and jiggled loose that hook. She flipped old Bunk the finger and without a second look, She dove down deep and swam away without a pretty please As Bunky felt the water start to swirl around his knees. [And it’s] (CHORUS) 5. It’s a lesson for the learning, for them as would be wise. Watch out for them there mermaids what’ll cut you down to size They are the stuff of legends such as found in any book Why, a mermaid, she can sink ya with a single dirty look! There’s countless songs and stories though no witnesses survive They don’t appear inclined to leave our sailor boys alive They’ll flash that blasted mirror and down in the drink you’ll drop Just ask our buddy Bunky next time he washes up. [And it’s] (CHORUS)

The Siren’s Song Said the siren to the sailor, “What makes you think I’d want your sorry ass Washed up here on my beach? I’m so outta your reach. Just goes to show there’s nothing ever comes for free. You say you got my number— It was scribbled on some drunken sailor’s dank and hairy palm. You got it all wrong. Just goes to show you can’t believe everything that you read. We just come to this beach to sing.” CHORUS: And when we sing, we sing the blue ocean We sing the whitecaps, we sing the waves We sing the wind, we sing the stories We sing the breaking of the day. Said the siren to the sailor, “I’ve yet to meet the man the likes of which I’d take with open arms. No topman from the yards. No washed up salt come all this way to cop a feel. You must have heard the story: The blind man said my girls all do it just for sport. It’s myth and no more. Just goes to show you can’t believe everything that you read. We just come to this beach to sing.” CHORUS Said the siren to the sailor, “Somewhere along the line I’d like to think that We could get some flash. Could settle some hash. Could see our names in lights, our reputation clean. I’d like to think we’d settle For just a bit of honest ink writ large inside the Times— No doggerel rhymes. Just goes to show you can’t believe ANYTHING that you read. We just come to this beach to sing.” CHORUS REPEAT

The Warrior Queen In my dream, the knight did ride, Against the setting sun On a high and mighty steed The battle fought and won Helmet doffed in daylight dim Hair freed in the breeze Waves of russet ripened red Reveal the warrior queen Her armor gilded and bright-wing’d Caught the dying light Stars and moon adorned her helm Sword as black as night From the sky her cloak was spun Fearless were her eyes Held she high the victor’s crown To claim it as her prize No dragons lay upon the field No foreign foe was slain And yet the battle long had raged Upon that barren plain She fought against her own dismay The furnace of her fear She swept the bitter coals away Until her path shown clear And as the sun went burning down She boldly rode away Left misgivings on the field That long and brutal day Her victory, her hard-won crown Her wild and valiant fight The fiercer for the treasure gained: She galloped toward The Light. She galloped toward The Light.