The obituary in the UK's "The Independent" newspaper for Tony Rose said "A beautifully relaxed interpreter of traditional song, with rare warmth and intimacy, Tony Rose made an indelible mark on the British folk scene. Emerging during the 1970s when folk clubs were still a force to be reckoned with, he was wholly committed to the grass roots scene, eschewing the seemingly sexier terrain of folk rock bands, modern song and political material that seduced so many of his contemporaries.
He loved traditional music and while it never brought him riches – indeed he returned to his first job as a teacher when the folk clubs themselves hit a recession in the late 1980s – he saw no reason to deviate widely from it. Accompanying himself on guitar and English concertina, he established an easy style that was instantly identifiable, putting him on a par with such giants of the era as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.
Born in Exeter in 1941, Rose was smitten by folk song at Oxford University in the early 1960s, where he had won a scholarship to study Modern Languages at Queen's College. He first heard the British folk pioneers Louis Killen, Shirley Collins, Alex Campbell and Johnny Handle at the university's Heritage Society. He was also profoundly influenced by another West Country singer, Cyril Tawney, the ex-Navy man turned songwriter. Rose cut his musical teeth at his local folk club, the Jolly Porter in Exeter, where he became an occasional member of the resident band the Journeymen.
He moved to London to become a teacher in 1965 but, offered more and more gigs on the burgeoning folk scene, he became a professional singer in 1969. His first album, Young Hunting, in 1970 had a huge impact, mixing West Country songs like "The Bellringing" and "Tavistock Goosey Fair" with comic ditties and testing ballads like "Golden Vanitee" and "Blackwater Side".
With his rich, lyrical voice, a repertoire of largely unfamiliar material and erudite introductions, the long-haired Rose swiftly became an important member of the second wave of the folk revival. The subsquent albums Under The Greenwood Tree in 1971 (with more complex arrangements and also involving Dolly Collins and Peter Knight) and On Banks Of Green Willow in 1976 enhanced his reputation further. On Banks Of Green Willow particularly confirmed his status as a great singer, tackling epic ballads like "The Bonny Hind", "Lord Randall" and "Fanny Blair". Of all his recorded work this was his tour de force.
In the late 1970s he formed a folk "supergroup", Bandoggs, with Pete and Christine Coe and his close friend Nic Jones, in which Rose played, among other things, mouth organ and performed a storming version of Loudon Wainwright's "Swimming Song". Despite acclaimed live work, the group suffered financial and logistical problems, and split up without recording.
Rose returned to his solo career, releasing the 1982 album Poor Fellows (the title track was drawn from Peter Bellamy's groundbreaking folk opera The Transports). This encompassed contemporary song for the first time with thoughtful arrangements of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather" and Richard Thompson's "Down Where The Drunkards Roll". While the album also featured traditional material like "The Yarmouth Tragedy" and "Clerk Saunders", Rose's sense of the absurd was illustrated by the inclusion of his grave interpretation of the kitsch pop standard "The Three Bells," a song he was even occasionally prevailed upon to sing in French as an encore at gigs.
But as the folk scene constricted, artists relying exclusively on the club circuit struggled and Rose ultimately returned to teaching. However, he remained a familiar figure on the scene, gigging occasionally and regularly turning up at West Country folk events such as the Padstow May Day celebrations and Sidmouth Folk Festival. He also worked as a folk journalist.
In 1999 he retired from teaching and made an unlikely return with a new album, Bare Bones, released on his own Boneshaker label, which largely featured new versions of old songs no longer available. Sounding as good as he ever did, he was still easing himself back into the circuit when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. He died in June 2002."
He recorded several LPs for the Trailer label in the 1970s, which outrageously have remained unavailable since Trailer's bankruptcy.
Rambling Sailor
Tony Rose Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long time I've sailed the ocean.
And I've fought for my king and the country too,
For honour and promotion.
But now, my brother shipmates, I bid you all adieu,
No more will I go to sea with you;
But I'll ramble the country through and through
And I'll be a rambling sailor.
Now it's off to the village then I went
Where I saw the lassies plenty;
And I boldly stepped up to one of them
To court her for her beauty.
Oh, her cheeks, they were like the roses red;
She'd a fine feathered bonnet all on her head.
I put the hard word on her but she said she was a maid,
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
"Oh, I can't and I shan't and I won't go with you,
You saucy rambling sailor.
For my parents they would never agree
For I'm promised to a tailor."
But I was hot shot eager to rifle her charms.
"A guinea," says I, "for a roll in your arms."
The deal was done and upstairs we went,
Myself and the trim-rigged doxy.
Well it's haul on the bowline, let the stays'ls fall,
We was yardarm to yardarm bobbin'.
And my shot locker empty, asleep I fell
And soon she fell to robbin';
Now she robbed all my pockets of everything I had,
She even stole my new boots from underneath the bed,
And she even stole my gold watch from underneath my head,
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
But it's when I awoke in the morning bright
I started to roar like thunder.
For my gold watch and my money too
She bore away for plunder.
Now it wasn't for my watch, and nor my money too,
For them I don't value but I tell you true,
I think her little fire-bucket burned my bobstay through,
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
The lyrics of Tony Rose's "Rambling Sailor" tell the story of a sailor who has spent his life at sea - fighting for his country, seeking honor and promotion, and living a life that is filled with adventure and challenge. However, this sailor has decided to leave that life behind, bidding farewell to his shipmates so that he can travel the country as a rambling sailor instead. This new life leads him to a village where he falls for a beautiful lady, but despite his attempts to woo her (including offering her a guinea for a roll in the hay), she refuses to come with him because she is promised to a tailor. The sailor and the lady end up spending the night together, but when he wakes up in the morning, he finds that she has stolen his money, watch, and boots.
The themes and imagery of the song are deeply related to the sailor's life at sea, even as he embarks on a new adventure on land. The phrase "rambling sailor" itself speaks to the sense of constant motion and restlessness that sailors were known for, and the lyrics provide a glimpse into the challenges and excitement of life on a ship. As the sailor navigates the throngs of people in the village, he feels adrift and alone, and his pursuit of the lady feels like a way to ground himself in this new world. However, the woman's actions in stealing from him and betraying his trust remind him of the dangers that are inherent in any adventure, whether on land or at sea.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a sailor brisk and bold,
I am a confident and daring sailor, who has spent a significant amount of time traversing the ocean and fighting for my country's honor and promotions.
Long time I've sailed the ocean.
I have been sailing the sea for a considerable length of time.
And I've fought for my king and the country too,
I have engaged in battles on behalf of my king and my country.
For honour and promotion.
I have fought with the intention of receiving honor and advancing my place in the hierarchy.
But now, my brother shipmates, I bid you all adieu,
However, I now bid farewell to my fellow sailors.
No more will I go to sea with you;
I will no longer sail with them on the sea.
But I'll ramble the country through and through
Instead, I will travel through the countryside.
And I'll be a rambling sailor.
I'll continue to consider myself a sailor, even though I'm not at sea.
Now it's off to the village then I went
I ventured into the village.
Where I saw the lassies plenty;
Where I observed plenty of young women;
And I boldly stepped up to one of them
And I confidently approached one of them.
To court her for her beauty.
I sought to begin a romantic relationship with her due to her attractiveness.
Oh, her cheeks, they were like the roses red;
Her cheeks had a red hue that resembled that of roses.
She'd a fine feathered bonnet all on her head.
She wore a lovely hat adorned with feathers on her head.
I put the hard word on her but she said she was a maid,
I made an aggressive advance towards her, but she claimed to be a virgin.
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
I considered her to be arrogant and flirtatious.
"Oh, I can't and I shan't and I won't go with you,
"I cannot and will not go with you.
You saucy rambling sailor.
You arrogant sailor who travels the countryside.
For my parents they would never agree
My parents would never consent to such a relationship.
For I'm promised to a tailor."
Because I am already engaged to a tailor."
But I was hot shot eager to rifle her charms.
But, I was very keen to have an intimate relationship with her.
"A guinea," says I, "for a roll in your arms."
"I will pay you a guinea to have sex with me."
The deal was done and upstairs we went,
We agreed to the transaction and retired to a private room.
Myself and the trim-rigged doxy.
Just myself and the flirtatious woman.
Well it's haul on the bowline, let the stays'ls fall,
We had sex.
We was yardarm to yardarm bobbin'.
We were in close harmony with one other.
And my shot locker empty, asleep I fell
I was exhausted and fell asleep.
And soon she fell to robbin';
And then she began to steal from me.
Now she robbed all my pockets of everything I had,
She took everything from my pockets.
She even stole my new boots from underneath the bed,
She even took my new boots from underneath my bed.
And she even stole my gold watch from underneath my head,
She even took my gold watch while it was under my pillow.
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
I still believe her to be a flirtatious and deceptive woman.
But it's when I awoke in the morning bright
When I woke up early the next day.
I started to roar like thunder.
I began to shout at the top of my lungs in anger.
For my gold watch and my money too
Because she had stolen my money and my watch.
She bore away for plunder.
She took them away as stolen treasures.
Now it wasn't for my watch, and nor my money too,
In actuality, it wasn't that I valued only my watch and money,
For them I don't value but I tell you true,
But I must tell you the truth,
I think her little fire-bucket burned my bobstay through,
She somehow compromised my ship's anchor rope.
The saucy little trim-rigged doxy.
And so, I still maintain that she is a dishonest and mischievous woman.
Contributed by Leah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.