In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Oh, there was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell.
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you I'll tell,
Oh, the truth to you I'll tell.
She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree.
There was none but Jackie Frazier, her true love e'er to be,
Oh, her true love e'er to be.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter, your body I will confine.
If none but Jack the sailor would ever suit your mind,
Oh, would ever suit your mind.
"This body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine.
There's none but Jack the sailor would have this heart of mine,
Oh, would have this heart of mine.
Now Jackie's gone sailing with trouble on his mind.
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind,
Oh, his darling girl behind.
She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array,
Then she went into the vessel to convey herself away,
Oh, convey herself away.
"Before you step onboard, sir, your name I'd like to know."
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "They call me Jack-A-Roe,
Oh, they call me Jack-A-Roe."
"Your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball,
Oh, to face the cannonball.
"I know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small,
But they would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall,
Oh, to see ten thousand fall."
The war soon being over, they hunted all around.
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found,
Oh, her darling love she found.
She picked him up all in her arms and carries him to town,
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds,
Oh, to quickly heal his wounds.
This couple, they got married, so well they did agree,
This couple they got married, so why not you and me,
Oh, so why not you and me.
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you I'll tell,
Oh, the truth to you I'll tell.
She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree.
There was none but Jackie Frazier, her true love e'er to be,
Oh, her true love e'er to be.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter, your body I will confine.
If none but Jack the sailor would ever suit your mind,
Oh, would ever suit your mind.
"This body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine.
There's none but Jack the sailor would have this heart of mine,
Oh, would have this heart of mine.
Now Jackie's gone sailing with trouble on his mind.
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind,
Oh, his darling girl behind.
She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array,
Then she went into the vessel to convey herself away,
Oh, convey herself away.
"Before you step onboard, sir, your name I'd like to know."
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "They call me Jack-A-Roe,
Oh, they call me Jack-A-Roe."
"Your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball,
Oh, to face the cannonball.
"I know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small,
But they would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall,
Oh, to see ten thousand fall."
The war soon being over, they hunted all around.
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found,
Oh, her darling love she found.
She picked him up all in her arms and carries him to town,
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds,
Oh, to quickly heal his wounds.
This couple, they got married, so well they did agree,
This couple they got married, so why not you and me,
Oh, so why not you and me.
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Hooray! I love this song!
That's why I uploaded it.
Seems fairly straightforward. A girl loves a man her father won't let her marry, a sailor. When he gets shipped off to war, she dresses like a man and joins the Navy under the assumed name of Jack-A-Roe. Then she finds him, fixes him up, and they get hitched.
I love the way he sings "Oh daughter, oh daughter, your body I will confine". I don't know why, I just like the way he sings it. :)
Somewhere in the liner notes to World gone wrong Dylan writes 'submerge your personality' - maybe it's a stretch but I think I can hear a little autobiography here and there on the album, for instance doesn't this song reflect Dylan's relation to Sara when they married...? And 28 years later he's a lone pilgrim.
Great song. Lyrically it is pretty straightforward and probably relates to stories Mr. Dylan had heard before. Women dressing as men and joining the military have happened many times before. Often they were discovered only when injured or killed in battle. Where I live in Arkansas there is a mountain called Petit Jean (little John) that has this same legend. Here the woman followed her love to sea dressed as a man, died, and was buried on the mountain.