Annotation:Jack Ratlin

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JACK RATLIN. AKA - "Jack Ratlin was the ablest seaman." English, Air (whole time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. The song by Charles Dibdin (1745-1814) appears in several late 18th century songsters such as Calliope [1] (1788) and Sime's The Edinburgh Musical Miscellany (1793).

Jack Ratlin was the ablest seaman,
None like him could hand, reef and steer;
No dang'rous toil but he'd encounter with skill and in contempt of fear.
In fight a lion, the battle ended,
Meek as the bleating lamb he'd prove,
Thus Jack had manners, courage, merit,
Yet he did sigh, and all for love.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Aird (Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 5), Glasgow, 1797; No. 38, p. 15.

Recorded sources: