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Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58) Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer

Child Ballads

2013

The king sits in Dumferling town
Drinking the blood red wine
"Where can I get a good Captian
To sail this ship of mine?"
Then up and spoke a sailor boy
Sitting at the king's right knee
"Sir Patrick Spens is the best Captain
That ever sailed to sea"
The king he wrote a broad letter
And he sealed it with his hand
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens
Walking out on the strand
To Norway, to Norway, to Norway
To Norway or the foam
With all my lords and finery
To bring my new bride home
The first line that Sir Patrick read
He gave a weary sigh
The next line that Sir Patrick read
A salt tear blinds his eye
"Oh, who is it, oh, who is it
Who told the king of me
To set us out this time of year
To sail across the sea?
But rest you well, my good men all
Our ship must sail the morn
With four and twenty noble lords
Dressed up in silk so fine
And four and twenty feather beds
To lay their heads upon
Away, away, we’ll all away
To bring the king's bride home"
"I fear, I fear, My captain dear
I fear we'll come to harm
Last night I saw the new moon clear
The old moon in her arm."
"Oh be it fair, or be it foul
Or be it deadly storm
Oh, blow the wind where’er it will
Our ship must sail the morn"
They hadn't sailed a day, a day
A day but only one
When loud and boisterous blew the wind
And made the good ship moan
They hadn't sailed a day, a day
A day but only three
When oh, the waves came o'er the side
And rolled around their knees
They hadn't sailed a league, a league
A league but only five
When the anchor broke and the sails were torn
And the ship began to rive
They hadn't sailed a league, a league
A league but only nine
When oh, the waves came o'er the side
Driving to their chins
"Who will climb the top mast high
While I take helm in hand?
Who will climb the top mast high
To see if there be dry land?"
"No shore, no shore, my Captain dear
I haven't seen dry land
But I have seen a lady fair
With a comb and a glass in her hand"
"Come down, come down, you sailor boy
I think you tarry long
The salt sea’s in at my coat neck
And out at my left arm
Come down, come down, you sailor boy
Tis here that we must die
Our ship is torn at every side
And now the sea comes in"
Loathe, loathe were those noble lords
To wet their high-heeled shoes
But long before the day was o’er
Their hats, they swam above
And many were the feathered beds
That fluttered on the foam
And many were those noble lords
Who never did come home
It's fifty miles shore to shore
And fifty fathoms deep
And there lies good Sir Patrick Spens
The lords all at his feet
Long, long, may his lady look
With a lantern in her hand
Before she sees Sir Patrick Spens
Come sailing home again
Credits
Anaïs Mitchell

Anaïs Mitchell

Jefferson Hamer

Jefferson Hamer

About “Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)” by Anaïs Mitchell

Read the complete lyrics to "Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)" by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer from the album "Child Ballads" in 2013. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop, Folk.

"Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)" is performed by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer. from the album "Child Ballads" in 2013 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)", explore more songs by Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)" is credited to Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58)" appears on "Child Ballads" in 2013.

Visit the Anaïs Mitchell, Jefferson Hamer artist page at /artist/anais-mitchell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.