Jacket so Blue - Cara Dillon

A ship’s crew of sailors as you may understand

Bound for the West Indies or some foreign land

There’s one lad amongst them I wish I never knew

He’s my bonnie, bonnie sailor with a jacket so blue

The first time I saw my love he’d a spy glass in his hand

I went to talk to him but he would not stand

I went to talk to him but from me he flew

And my heart it went along with him and his jacket so blue

Says I my noble sailor I’ll buy your discharge

I’ll free you from sailing and set you at large

I’ll free you from that man-o-war if your heart does be true

And I’d never let a stain on your jacket so blue

Well said I my noble lady you’ll buy my discharge

You’ll free me from sailing and set me at large

You’ll free me from that man-o-war if my heart does be true

Ah but then what would my own lovely Scotch lassie do

For I have a lassie in my own country

And I would not slight her for her poverty

If I were to slight her then my heart wouldn’t be true

For she never left a stain on my jacket so blue

I’ll write off to Dublin to an artist of skill

And I’ll have my love’s picture drawn out in its full

And I’ll place it in my chamber quite close to my view

And I’ll say I loved a sailor with a heart that was true