Thewhaling Ship Captain's Lover Ballad Dedicated My Gmother's Life

THE SHIP CAPTAIN’S LOVER (from my grandmother's life--her betrothed lost at sea on a whaling vessel in Norway 1890) by Victoria Anderson-Throop The winds blow free And the winds blow cold There never was a man so bold As the man I loved who went to sea The month he was to marry me Times were hard And times were tough Winds were cold North seas were rough But a whaling man will fight for breath Dare the sea , defy their death He ordered his crew “come follow me Who fears to sail Is cowardly” “No, don’t leave me-- Please --I called” He slapped me then He was appalled I had shamed him with my fear I should have handed him his gear And wished him well upon his way Gone on like any other day A woman’s place is by the shore Nothing less and nothing more She never begs and never cries Unless her own beloved dies While I waited on the shore Fear seeped out of every pore Days went by And then a week Tears were shed by brave and meek Life was bitter, life was sour A bell was sounded from the tower For each beloved man Now lost-- What a bitter Deadly cost. And , for me, My life's in tatters. Men don’t know the thing that matters-- I wish I had my man so sweet Not my world Thrown at my feet. Oh darlin’ babe now in my arms Don’t fall victim to wild charms When the sea calls in your head Stay at home-- die in your bed