The Low, Low Lands of Holland
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Lesley Nelson
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This is a variant of Lowlands of Holland, an English song which appears in print in 1760 as The Sorrowful Lover's Regrate. There are countless variants to the tune and melody. Digital Tradition has six sets of lyrics and four melody variants for Lowlands of Holland.

There are many shanties dealing with "the Lowlands" including Lowlands, Lowlands Away, The Lowland Sea, and The Golden Vanitee. Sailors were variously singing about Holland, Scotland and Virginia when they sang of the Lowlands.*

In addition a variant of Lowlands is found in the Appalachians as Lily of Arkansas.

The very day I was married,
That night I lay on my bed;
A press gang came to my bedside
These words to me they said:
Arise, arise, arise, young man,
And come along with me, with me,
To the low, low lands of Holland,
To face your enemy.

But Holland is a cold place,
A place where grows no green,
And Holland is a cold place
For my love to wander in.
Though money had been as plentiful
As leaves upon the tree, the tree
Yet before I'd time to turn myself
My love was stol'n from me.

I'll build my love a gallant ship,
A ship of noted fame.
With four and twenty seamen bold
To box her on the main.
They'll rant and roar in sparkling glee,
Where some ever they do go, do go,
To the low, low lands of Holland,
To face the daring foe.

Says the mother to the daughter;
What makes you to lament?
O there are lords and dukes and squires
Can ease your heart's content.
But never will I married be
Until the day I die, I die,
since the low, low lands of Holland
Have parted my love and me.

There's not a swaithe goes round my waist
Nor comb goes in my hair,
Neither firelight nor candle light
Can ease my heart's despair.
And never will I married be
Until the day I die, I die
Since the low, low lands of Holland
Have parted my love and me.
Related Links
From One Hundred English Folksongs and
* Shanties from the Seven Seas
See Bibliography for full information.