Listen to this song, performed by Jeroen Zijlstra

MP3 sound file

A girl chooses the life of a sailor, dressed as a man. She doesn't do her work well and is found out. In order to avoid her punishment, she becomes the captain's sweetheart. In the end, she returns home to her mother, with a child and the promise of a marriage.

Several variants of the lyric exist, with various melodies in circulation. The song is familiar to us from the well-known songbooks used in schools, but Ate Doornbosch and others have also transcribed numerous variants from oral tradition. The oldest version dates back to around 1775. The museum 'From Musical Clock to Street Organ' in Utrecht holds a paper roll of the song.

This old sailor's song is performed by Jeroen Zijlstra, who sailed the North Sea himself for years as a cod fisher from Wieringen. He is accompanied by Bouke Feleus on accordion.

Return to the Top 30
View the original broadside