"The Sweet Trinity", also known as "The Golden Vanity" or "The Golden Willow Tree", is an English

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

sea shanty A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ''shanty ...

, listed as

Child Ballad The Child Ballads are 305 traditional ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, anthologized by Francis James Child during the second half of the 19th century. Their lyrics and Child's studies of them were published as '' ...

286. The first surviving version, about 1635, was "Sir

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

Sailing In The Lowlands (Shewing how the famous Ship called the Sweet Trinity was taken by a false Gally & how it was again restored by the craft of a little Sea-boy, who sunk the Gally)".

Synopsis

A captain of a ship (the ''Sweet Trinity'' or ''Golden Vanity'' or ''Golden Willow Tree'' of the title) laments the danger it is in; Sir Walter Raleigh complains that it was captured by a galley, but the more common complaint is that it is in danger from another ship, which may be French, Turkish, Spanish, or (especially in American variants) British. A cabin boy offers to solve the problem. The captain promises him rich rewards, which vary enormously between versions. The boy swims to the enemy ship, bores holes in its hull, and sinks it. He swims back to his ship. Usually, the captain declares that he will not rescue the boy out of the water, let alone reward him. In some variants, the boy extorts the rescue and reward by sinking (or threatening to sink) his ship as well, but usually the boy drowns (sometimes after saying he would sink the ship if it weren't for the crew). Occasionally, the crew rescues him, but he dies on the deck. In the variant with Raleigh, Raleigh is willing to keep some of his promises, but not to marry him to his daughter, and the cabin boy scorns him. In the New England version recorded by

John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as the 17th chief justice of the United States since 2005. Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including ''Nati ...

(see below), he sinks both ships but is rescued by another one, thus explaining how the story could have been passed on.

Printings

Round 122, between 1849 and 1862, printed and sold by H. Such, Newsvender, &c. 123, Union Street, Borough, London.

Recordings

The Carter Family Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. ...

recorded it in 1935 under the title "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea". *

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

recorded Justus Begley performing "The Golden Willow Tree" in 1937. *

The Almanac Singers The Almanac Singers was an American New York City-based folk music group, active between 1940 and 1943, founded by Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie. The group specialized in topical songs, mostly songs advocating an ant ...

(

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

on lead vocal) recorded it on ''Deep Sea Chanteys and Whaling Ballads'' (1941). *

A.L. Lloyd Albert Lancaster Lloyd (29 February 1908 – 29 September 1982),Eder, Bruce. (29 September 1982A. L. Lloyd - Music Biography, Credits and Discography AllMusic. Retrieved on 2013-02-24. usually known as A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd, was an English fo ...

on ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Volume III'' (1956). * Paul Clayton recorded a version entitled "The Turkish Revelee", on ''Whaling and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick'' (1956). *

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

released a recording as "The Golden Vanity" on his 1956 ''Down to the Sea in Ships''. *

Richard Dyer-Bennet Richard Dyer-Bennet (6 October 1913 in Leicester, England – 14 December 1991 in Monterey, Massachusetts) was an English-born American folk singer (or his own preferred term, "minstrel"), recording artist, and voice teacher. Biography He was bo ...

recorded a version entitled "The Golden Vanity" for his "Richard Dyer-Bennet 5" LP which was released in 1958. * The

Brothers Four The Brothers Four is an American folk singing group, founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington, and known for their 1960 hit song "Greenfields." History Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, where ...

recorded the song in 1960 as "The Gallant Argosy". * Scottish Skifle artist

Lonnie Donegan Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scotl ...

recorded the song as 'The Golden Vanity' for the B-side of his UK number 1 single

My Old Man's a Dustman "My Old Man's a Dustman" is a song first recorded by the British skiffle singer Lonnie Donegan. It reached number one in the British, Irish, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand singles charts in 1960. The chorus of the song is: Composition Th ...

in 1960. *

Barbara Dane Barbara Dane (born Barbara Jean Spillman; May 12, 1927) is an American folk, blues, and jazz singer, guitarist, record producer, and political activist. She co-founded Paredon Records with Irwin Silber. "Bessie Smith in stereo," wrote jazz cri ...

recorded a version as "Turkey Reveille" in 1962. *

The New Lost City Ramblers The New Lost City Ramblers, or NLCR, was an American contemporary old-time string band that formed in New York City in 1958 during the folk revival. Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Tom Paley were its founding members. Tracy Schwarz replaced Paley ...

recorded it (as "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea", after the Carter Family version) on ''Gone to the Country'' (1963, Folkways FA2491). *

Odetta Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire co ...

recorded it as "The Golden Vanity" and it appeared on her second recording for RCA, ''

Odetta Sings Folk Songs ''Odetta Sings Folk Songs'' is a studio album by American folk singer Odetta, released on the RCA Victor label in September 1963. The album peaked at number 75 on the '' Billboard'' Pop Albums charts. Track listing #"900 Miles" – 3:10 #"Blo ...

'' (1963, RCA LSP2643) *

The Chad Mitchell Trio The Chad Mitchell Trio, later known as The Mitchell Trio, were an American vocal group who became known during the 1960s. They performed traditional folk songs and some of John Denver's early compositions. They were particularly notable for perf ...

recorded it (as "The Golden Vanity") on ''At the Bitter End'' (1964). *

Martin Simpson Martin Stewart Simpson (born 5 May 1953) is an English folk singer, guitarist and songwriter. His music reflects a wide variety of influences and styles, rooted in Britain, Ireland, America and beyond. He builds a purposeful, often upbeat voi ...

on the album ''

Golden Vanity ''Golden Vanity'' is a 1976 folk album by Martin Simpson. It was recorded and produced at Leader Sound by Bill Leader, and was originally issued by Trailer Records in the United Kingdom, catalogue number LER 2099. The sleeve includes notes by M ...

'' (1976). *

Gordon Bok Gordon Bok (born October 31, 1939) is an American folklorist and singer-songwriter, who grew up in Camden, Maine and is associated with music from New England. Career Bok's first album, self-titled, was produced by Noel Paul Stookey (Paul of P ...

, Ann Mayo Muir, and Ed Trickett recorded it in 1978 on their second album, ''The Ways of Man''. *

Rory Block Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949, in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Career Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan ...

on the album

Rhinestones & Steel Strings ''Rhinestones & Steel Strings'' is a blues album by the American guitarist and singer Rory Block, released in 1984 by Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leight ...

(1984). * The baritone

Bruce Hubbard Bruce Hubbard (1952 − 12 November 1991) was an American operatic baritone. A Drama Desk and Laurence Olivier Award nominee for Best Actor, he performed on Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, BBC television, in concert and made several recordings. ...

, recorded it as "The Golden Willow Tree" in 1989 for his album ''For You, For Me'', with Dennis Russell Davies and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. It is on Angel/EMI Records. *

Tom Paxton Thomas Richard Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

recorded it (as "The Golden Vanity") for a tape called ''A Folksong Festival'' in 1986. *

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repertoir ...

recorded the tune as "The Golden Vanity" for their 1990 album ''Flowers and Stones''. * In 1992

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

performed it at a concert. This later appeared as a bootleg album called ''Golden Vanity'' (recordings made 1988–1992). *

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...

recorded it in 1995 for the album ''Time'', but it appeared instead on an anthology ''The Best of British Folk Rock''. * The

Friends of Fiddler's Green Friends of Fiddler's Green is a Canadian folk music group based in Toronto founded in 1971 and still active as of 2018. The members of the group at the time of its first recording, 1981's ''This Side of the Ocean'', were Alistair Brown, Tam Kearne ...

on ''This Side of the Ocean'' (1997). *Mike Seeger recorded a banjo version called "The Golden Willow Tree" on his 2003 album ''True Vine''. *

recorded a New England version, entitled "The Weeping Willow Tree", on his 2003 album ''Sea Fever''. *

Bruce Molsky Bruce C. Molsky (born 1955, New York City) is an American fiddler, banjo player, guitarist, and singer. He primarily performs old-time music of the Appalachian region. Early years As a young man, Molsky first became interested in blues music, but ...

recorded a version in the

clawhammer Clawhammer, sometimes called down-picking, overhand, or frailing, is a distinctive banjo playing style and a common component of American old-time music. The principal difference between clawhammer style and other styles is the picking direct ...

style on his album ''Soon Be Time'' (2006). *

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

recorded a version under the name "Turkish Revelry" on '' Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys'' (2006). * The Askew Sisters recorded a version called "The Old Virginia Lowlands" for their 2008 album ''All in a Garden Green''. * Brian Peters recorded it as "The Golden Vanity" on his album ''Songs of Trial & Triumph'' (2008). *

Crooked Still Crooked Still is an American band consisting of vocalist Aoife O'Donovan, banjo player Gregory Liszt, bassist Corey DiMario, cellist Tristan Clarridge and fiddler Brittany Haas. They are known for their high energy, technical skill, unusual i ...

recorded the song as "The Golden Vanity" on their ''Live'' album (2009) and on ''Some Strange Country'' (2011). * Andy the Doorbum recorded the song as "The Reveille" on the album "The Man Killed The Bird, And With The Bird He Killed The Song, And With The Song, Himself" (2011). * Accordionist Doug Lacy recorded a version for the 2014 soundtrack to the television series ''Black Sails''. * Gabriella Lewis and Shay Tochner recorded the song "The Golden Vanity" on the traditional album "Wild Rovin' No More" released in 2015 * Alasdair Roberts recorded a version called "The Golden Vanity" on his album ''Too Long in This Condition'' *

Lankum Lankum are a contemporary Irish folk music group from Dublin, consisting of brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch, Cormac MacDiarmada and Radie Peat. In 2018 they were named Best Folk Group at the RTÉ Folk Music Awards, while Radie Peat was named Bes ...

recorded a version called "The Turkish Reveille" on the album "Between the Earth and Sky" (2017) * Jake Xerxes Fussell recorded a version called "The Golden Willow Tree" on the album "Good and Green Again" (2022)

Variants

Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...

used it as one of the songs in his ''

Old American Songs ''Old American Songs'' are two sets of songs arranged by Aaron Copland in 1950 and 1952 respectively, after research in the Sheet Music Collection of the Harris Collection of American Poetry and Plays, in the John Hay Library at Brown Universit ...

'' sets. * Dutch singer

Boudewijn de Groot Frank Boudewijn de Groot (, born 20 May 1944) is a Dutch singer-songwriter, known for "''Welterusten Meneer de President''" (1966). Biography Youth Boudewijn de Groot was born in wartime occupied Dutch East Indies in 1944 in a Japanese concentr ...

included a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

retelling of the song, called "Noordzee" ("North Sea"), on his self-titled 1965 debut album. The translation was written by his close companion

Lennaert Nijgh Lennaert Herman Nijgh (January 25, 1945 in Haarlem – November 28, 2002 in Haarlem) was a Dutch lyricist. Nijgh was most commonly known as the lyricist for Boudewijn de Groot. Biography Nijgh was an only child and grew up in Heemstede. He w ...

. Dutch singer Geke van der Sloot reworked the lyrics in 2019 and turned "Noordzee" into a protest song against plans to build large wind farms in the North Sea. * In 1966,

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

set an arrangement of the song for boys' voices and piano, as '' The Golden Vanity'' (his Op. 78) *

June Carter Cash June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior ...

includes a corrupted version entitled "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea" in her 2003 album ''

Wildwood Flower "Wildwood Flower" (or "The Wildwood Flower") is an American song, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. It is a folk song, cataloged as Roud Folk Song Index No. 757. History "Wildwood Flower" is a variant of the ...

''.

References

External links