Bay of Biscay (also known as Wiillie-O)
Sung by Debra Cowan. SheetMusic(pdf)
My Willy sails on board the tender
And where he is I do not know
For seven long years
I’ve been constantly waiting
Since he crossed the Bay of Biscay-oh
One night as Mary lay sleeping
A knock came to her bedroom door
Saying “Arise, arise, my dearest Mary
For to earn one glimpse of your Willy-oh”
Young Mary rose, put on her clothing
And to the bedroom door did go
And there she spied her Willy standing
His two pale cheeks as white as snow
“Oh Willy dear where are those blushes
Those blushes I knew long years ago?”
“Oh Mary dear - the cold clay ashed them
I am only the ghost of your Willy -oh”
“Oh Mary dear, the dawn is breaking
Don’t you think it’s time for me to go?
I am leaving you quite broken hearted
For to cross the Bay of Biscay-oh”
“If I had all the gold and silver
And all the money in Mexico
I would grant it all to the king of Erin
For to bring me back my Willy-oh”
This is a traditional night visiting song, in which a dead lover visits his love at night. He has to return to the netherworld before dawn.