Annotation:Sailor Cut Down in His Prime
SAILOR CUT DOWN IN HIS PRIME, THE. AKA - "Trooper Cut Down in His Prime." English, Waltz (3/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. A member of the large "Unfortunate Rake (The)" [1] song family (which includes "Streets of Laredo"), it was a favorite tune of multi-instrumentalist Walter Bulwer (1888-c. 1972), of Shipdham, Norfolk, England. The first few verses go:
One day as I strolled down by the Royal Albion,
Dark was the morning and cold was the day;
But who should I spy, but one of my shipmates,
He was dressed in a blanket far colder than clay.
He called for a candle to light him to bed,
Likewise a pillow to wrap round his hair;
For his poor head was aching, his poor heart was breaking,
For he was a sailor cut down in his prime.
We'll beat the drums low and play the pipes merrily,
We'll play the death march as we carry him along;
Take him to the churchyard and fire three volleys o'er him,
For he was a sailor cut down in his prime.