As we rowed out to Fenario

[helen99]

I was listening to this song just now - It seems that "Sweet William" had a bit of a problem with rejection, to his eventual detriment. For some reason this version seemed hillarious when I heard it.
==========================================================

As we rowed out to Fennario
As we rowed out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love
With a lady like a dove
And he called her by name Pretty Peggy-O.

Oh will you marry me Pretty Peggy-O
Oh will you marry me Pretty Peggy-O
Oh will you marry me
And I'll take you out to sea
To lands far beyond Fennario.

Oh I would marry you Sweet William-O
Oh I would marry you Sweet William-O
Oh I would marry you
But your guineas are too few
And I fear that my mama would be angry-O.

If ever I return Pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return Pretty Peggy-O
If ever I return
All your cities I will burn
Destroying all the lands in the area-o.

Come tripping down the stairs Pretty Peggy-O
Come tripping down the stairs Pretty Peggy-O
Come tripping down the stairs
combing back your yellow hair
The fairest young maid in Fennario.

Sweet William is dead Pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William is dead Pretty Peggy-O
Sweet William is dead
To the fishes he's been fed
In a sea far beyond Fennario.

As we rowed out to Fennario
As we rowed out to Fennario
Our captain fell in love
With a lady like a dove
And he called her by name Pretty Peggy-O.
And he called her by name Pretty Peggy-O.

Comments

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Here's what could possibly be one explanation for the "Sweet William" death syndrome in traditional Irish/Celtic music...

http://www.contemplator.com/folk3/sweetwil.html

William the Conqueror defeated the Irish in the 1600s or thereabouts. They probably were not too fond of the name "William" after that, and took any opportunity to put him in positions in which he met an untimely end...