There Was a Wealthy Merchant

[daibhidc]

Okay, I'm a huge Steeleye Span fan, but is it just me, or does "There Was a Wealthy Merchant" make no sense whatsoever?

I mean, think about it. It starts off fine.

There was a wealthy merchant,
In London he did dwell.
He had a beautiful daughter,
The truth to you I tell.

She had sweethearts a-plenty,
And men of high degree,
But none but Jack the sailor
Her true love e'r could be.

That all makes sense. The next bit seems to be consistent as well.

Jackie's gone a-sailing,
With trouble on his mind,
He's left his king and his country,
And his darling girl behind.

That looks pretty clear; Jack's gone off on a ship, exploring or privateering or something. What he definitely hasn't done is join the Navy; then he'd be serving his king and country, not leaving them behind.

And the merchant's daughter's reaction to this seems to more or less fit:

She went down to a tailor's shop,
And dressed in men's array.
She's signed a bill of passage,
To convey herself away.

Before you get on board, sir,
Your name we'd like to know.
She smiled all in her countenance,
They call me Jack-a-Roe.

Right. She signed a bill of passage. Her boyfriend's gone off on a ship and she's got a ticket on a passenger ship to try to track him down. Fine.

I mean, it's a long shot, but that's folk songs for you. And it's a bit weird that she has to disguise herself as a man to do it, but I suppose sailors were very superstitious in the old days.

I see your waist is slender,
And your fingers they are small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy,
To face the cannonball.

Wait, what? What kind of passenger ship is this? Did she go for an economy trip with EasyClipper and is now being told there's an additional charge to not face cannonballs?

I know my waist is slender,
And my fingers they are small,
But it would not make me tremble,
To see ten thousand fall.

Okay, fine, it looks like she's not taking a bill of passage, she's actually joining the Navy. That doesn't really fit, but whatever.

The war soon being over,
She went and looked around.
Among the dead and the dying,
Her darling boy she found.

Well, that was quick, wasn't it? I mean, given that the war was only inferred to exist in the previous verse. And it looks like Jack was in the Navy as well, after all.

Or was he? How can she go and "look around"? Did she board Jack's ship, after it was attacked by whoever the enemy was? Or is this a land battle? It looks like a land battle, doesn't it? So Jack wasn't a sailor, he was a soldier. Sheesh!

She picked him up all in her arms,
And carried him to the town.
She sent for a physician,
Who quickly healed his wounds.

Well, we're definitely on land. But where? I'm not convinced that a 17th century(?) warzone will suddenly become a place where an Englishwoman in male guise can summon a doctor just because the war's been declared over. Or are they somehow back in England? Is this the Civil War or the Jacobite Rebellion or something? In which case, why did she have to take a ship at all? Aargh!

(And I won't even mention that narrative convenience means Jack's gone from "among the dead and dying" to easily fixed up. Er, except I just did. But why should I have to be consistent when the song isn't?)

This couple they got married,
So well they did agree.
This couple they got married,
So why not you and me?

Ah, well. At least there's a happy ending.

Comments

[john_amend_all]

It reads to me as: He's a pirate who told his intended's family he was in the Navy. She's his Sweet Polly Oliver sweetheart who discovered the truth when Marines from her ship boarded his. Together, they fight crime!

[rhiannon-s.livejournal.com]

It kinda works, when they seized the young pirate's ship, he was in the wounded pile (also known as "why treat minor injuries when they are going to be hanged" pile) and when they rocked up at port with the prize his girl (whom I can only assume ending up signing on as "Bob") found him and sent for the local quack.

[learnsslowly.livejournal.com]

Maybe he went and fought for the other side?
Or maybe he joined and merchant ship and was later press ganged into the navy?
Maybe she (whilst looking for a passage aboard ship disguised as a man) was also pressganged?
You could be lying amongst the dead and dying with injures that haven't killed you yet for a couple of days, be found, healed and survive. Happened to grandfather.
So I've not done anything to help unconfuse you, but all the best for 2015 anyway.

[daibhid-c.livejournal.com]

Thanks, everyone. The pirate/enemy vessel idea actually works, and I guess they could be just off the coast, so she can get into town. So that works. And yeah, "the dead and dying" probably means without medical treatment.

But "signed a bill of passage" still doesn't mean "signed to join the Navy".

[john_amend_all]

I think there's a case here for a Storytime adaptation, with Polly and Ben arguing with the narrator and changing costumes between each verse. "Hang on, he was a pirate? [Dives into costume box] Anyone seen the parrot?"