Oh My Love is Gone (Sussex) As I was a-walking down by the seashore Where the wind and the waves and the waters do roar There I heard a sad voice make a pitiful sound Of the wind and the waves and the waters all 'round cho: Crying: "Oh my love's gone, he's the youth I adore He's gone and I never shall see him no more" She'd a voice like a nightingale, her skin like a dove And the song that she sang it was all about love I asked her to marry me, marry me please but the answer she gave:my love's drowned in the sea I told her I'd gold and I'd silver besides And a coach and six horses and with me she'd ride No I never will marry, nor be any man's wife I'll be true to my love as long as I've life Then she stretched forth her arms and made a great leap From the rocks that were high to the water so deep Saying the shells of the oysters shall make me a bed And the shrimps in the ocean wriggle over my head Now every night at eight bells they appear When the moon it is shining and the waters are clear These two constant lovers with all their young charms Rollin' over and over and locked in love's arms Surely one of my favorites!! Heard back in '71 from Cyril Tawney at the Bridge Inn in Newcastle. Probably from the Copper family originally, but this is a slightly different version from the one in their recently published family songbook RR RR OCT98
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!