Willie Taylor
Melodia tradizionale irlandese
Willy Taylor
and his youthful lover
Full of mirth and loyalty
They were going to the church to be married
He was pressed and sent to sea
She dressed herself up like a sailor
On her breast she wore a star
Her beautiful fingers long and slender
She gave them all just a smear of tar
On this ship there being a skirmish
She being one amongst the rest
A silver button flew off her jacket
There appeared her snow white breast
Says the captain to this fair maid
"What misfortune took you here?"
"I'm in search of my true lover
Whom you pressed on the other year"
"If you're in search of your true lover
Pray, come tell to me his name"
"Willie Taylor they do call him
But Fitzgerald is his name"
"Let you get up tomorrow morning
Early as the break of day
There you'll find your Willie Taylor
Walking along with his lady gay"
She got up the very next morning
Early as the break of day
There she spied her Willie Taylor
Walking along with his lady gay
She drew out a brace of pistols
That she had at her command
There she shot her Willie Taylor
With his bride at his right hand
Ecco un’altra versione diffusa in America presso le
comunità irlandesi
Billy Taylor
was a sailor,
He was courting a fair lady,
Instead of Billy getting married,
He was forced untae the sea;
But his bride soon followed after
Under the name of Richard Carr,
Snow-white fingers, long and slender,
Covered ower wi' pitch and tar.
Fal-da-ral-da-rum-dum-deddy,
Fal-da-ral-de-rum-dum-day.
She's dressed herself
in sailor's clothing,
Oh but she was a bonnie young man,
Away she sailed upon the ocean,
All aboard the Mary Anne;
A storm blew up upon the water,
She being there amang the rest,
The wind blew off her silver buttons
And there appeared her snow-white breast.
Fal-da-ral-da-rum-dum-deddy,
Fal-da-ral-de-rum-dum-day.
"Well,
now," said the captain, "My dear lady,
What misfortune brought you here?"
"I'm in search of my true lover
Whom you have pressed the other year."
"Well," said the captain, "My dear lady,
Tell to me the young man's name."
"Some folk call him Billy Taylor,
William Taylor is his name."
Fal-da-ral-da-rum-dum-deddy,
Fal-da-ral-de-rum-dum-day.
"Well, if
Billy Taylor's your dear lover,
Then he has proved to you untrue,
He's got married tae another
And left you here alone to rue;
Rise ye early in the mornin',
Early at the break of day,
And there you'll spy young Billy Taylor,
Walkin' oot wi' his lady gay."
Fal-da-ral-da-rum-dum-deddy,
Fal-da-ral-de-rum-dum-day.
She rose early
up next mornin',
Early at the break of day,
And there she spied young Billy Taylor
Walkin' oot wi' his lady gay;
Gun and pistol she commanded,
Gun and pistol at her side,
And there she shot young Billy Taylor
Walkin' oot wi' his new-made bride.
Fal-da-ral-da-rum-dum-deddy,
Fal-da-ral-de-rum-dum-day.
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Il testo proviene dai broadside ballads e in particolare
della tradizione irlandese delle ballate di strada dette anche degli omicidi
(murdered ballads).
Della ballata esistono numerose varianti, si riporta di
seguito anche la versione più accreditata nella “root music” americana.
In alcune di queste versioni il nome della donna che viene
abbandonata all’altare è Sarah Naylor. Ella decide di seguire Willy per mare
travestendosi da marinaio, ma finirà con l’ucciderlo sparando a lui e alla
nuova sposa (che in alcune versioni è dichiarata come ricca). Pare che il
finale (qui non menzionato) sia a lieto fine: il Capitano del vascello sposerà
Sarah.
La storia potrebbe essere letta come una
raccomandazione: alle mamme di non dare il nome Willie ai figli se non si
vuole che facciano una brutta fine e alle donne, se proprio non posso evitare
di uscire con uno che si chiama Willie, di tenere una pistola a portata di
mano; il nome Willy infatti è un topico per indicare il furfante, il bulletto
del quartiere che piace alle donne, ma piuttosto opportunista.
Si consiglia l’ottima versione di Mary Dillon
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