| AKA | Waiting for the turn of the tide Try to be happy and gay, my boys |
| First Pub | 1867 |
| Lyrics | Harry Clifton | Music | Charles Coote Jnr | Roud | 13888 |
| Music Hall performers | Harry Clifton |
| Folk performances | In repertoire of Henry Burstow of Horsham |
In sailing along the river of life Over it's waters wide We all have to battle with trouble and strife And wait for the time and the tide Men of each other are prone to be jealous Hopes are illusions and not what they seem Life and its pleasures philosophers tell us Go floating away like a leaf on the stream. Then try to be happy and gay my boys Remember the world is wide And Rome wasn't built in a day, my boys So wait for the turn of the tide. Why people sit fretting their lives away I can't for a moment surmise If life is a lottery as they say We cannot all turn up a prize A folly it is to be sad and dejected If 'fortune shows favours' she's fickle beside And may knock at your door some fine day unexpected If you patiently wait for the turn of the tide. Man is sent into the world we're told To do all the good that he can Yet how many worship the chink of the gold And never once think of the man If you are poor from your friends keep a distance Hold up your head, tho' your funds are but small Once let the world know you need its assistance Be sure then you never will get it at all.
Another motto song from Harry Clifton. It was first published in 1867, its likely Clifton started singing it around that time or a little earlier.
This one appears widely in broadsides and songbooks in the second half of the 19th century, but does not appear to have been widely picked up by traditional singers on either side of the Atlantic in the 20th century. The title is included in a song list by Henry Burstow of Horsham (published 1911) so we cannot be absolutely sure that is the same song….
Sources:
- Lyrics: monologues.co.uk
- VWML entries
- Sheet Music: Levy Collection
Last Updated on April 10, 2021 by John Baxter | Published: April 15, 2020
