Patrick Spens
Michiel Schrey Lyrics
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Drinking the blood red wine,
"Where can I get a good sea captain
To sail in this ship of mine? "
Then up there spoke a bonny boy
Sitting at the king's right knee,
"Sir patrick spens is the very best seaman
The king has written a broad letter
And sealed it up with his own right hand,
Sending word to sir patrick spens
To come at his command.
"An enemy then this must be
Who told a lie bout me,
For I was never a good seaman
Nor ever do I intend to be."
They had not sailed upon the sea
A day, but barely three,
When loud and boisterous grew the winds
And stormy grew the sea.
Then up there came a mermaiden
A comb and glass in hand,
"Here's a health to you my merry young men,
For you'll not see dry land again!"
"Oh, long may my lady look
With a lantern in her hand
Before she sees my bonny ship
Come sail homeward to dry land."
Oh Forty miles off aberdeen
The water's just fifty fathoms deep
There lies good sir patrick spens
With the scots lords at his feet
The song "Patrick Spens" by Michiel Schrey is a ballad revolving around a conversation between a king and his courtiers. The king is in search of a good sea captain to sail his ship, to which a bonny boy suggests Sir Patrick Spens, who is hailed as the best seaman to have ever sailed the sea. The king sends a letter to Spens, commanding him to sail his ship, to which Spens reluctantly agrees, thinking that he is being blamed for someone's wrongdoing. As Spens and his crew sail through the sea, a mermaid appears and foretells their doom. They face violent storms and are eventually drowned, with Spens and the Scottish lords being found dead.
The song's lyrics are filled with metaphors and vivid descriptions of the sea's unforgiving nature. The opening lines themselves establish the setting of a king in his court, surrounded by wine, indicating the hedonistic lifestyle of royalty. The use of blood-red wine as a descriptor makes it all the more apparent that the king's decisions may have grave consequences. Additionally, the mermaid's appearance and the mention of a comb and glass signify death and doom since, in folklore, such mermaids are known to foretell death.
Line by Line Meaning
The king sits in dunfermline town
The king is drinking wine in his town of Dunfermline.
Drinking the blood red wine,
The wine he is drinking is red in color.
"Where can I get a good sea captain
To sail in this ship of mine? "
The king is wondering where he can find a skilled captain to sail his ship.
Then up there spoke a bonny boy
Sitting at the king's right knee,
A handsome boy who was seated by the king spoke up.
"Sir patrick spens is the very best seaman
That ever sailed the sea."
The boy recommends Sir Patrick Spens as the most skilled sailor to the king.
The king has written a broad letter
And sealed it up with his own right hand,
The king has written a letter and sealed it with his own hand.
Sending word to sir patrick spens
To come at his command.
The letter was sent to Sir Patrick Spens requesting him to come immediately.
"An enemy then this must be
Who told a lie bout me,
For I was never a good seaman
Nor ever do I intend to be."
Sir Patrick Spens doubts the authenticity of the message, as he has no skills at sea.
They had not sailed upon the sea
A day, but barely three,
When loud and boisterous grew the winds
And stormy grew the sea.
After only three days at sea, the weather became wild and stormy.
Then up there came a mermaiden
A comb and glass in hand,
"Here's a health to you my merry young men,
For you'll not see dry land again!"
A mermaid appeared with a comb and a glass, wishing the crew bad luck.
"Oh, long may my lady look
With a lantern in her hand
Before she sees my bonny ship
Come sail homeward to dry land."
Sir Patrick Spens hopes his ship will not be seen until it returns home safely.
Oh Forty miles off aberdeen
The water's just fifty fathoms deep
There lies good sir patrick spens
With the scots lords at his feet
Sir Patrick Spens' ship sank off the coast of Aberdeen, and he and the other Scottish nobles on board died.
Writer(s): Ashley Stephen Hutchings, Richard John (gb1) Thompson, Sandy Denny, Simon Nicol, David Mattacks
Contributed by Tristan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.