Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" |
|
|---|---|
Sheet music
|
|
| Nursery rhyme | |
| Published | 1805 |
| Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
"Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" is a well-known English language folk song and nursery rhyme. It's often just called "Bobby Shafto" (sometimes spelled Shaftoe). This song has been popular for a long time, telling a simple story that many people enjoy.
Contents
The Song's Music
The tune for "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea" is quite old. It comes from an even earlier song called "Brave Willie Forster." This older tune was written down in manuscripts from the late 1600s and early 1700s in north-east England.
<score> { \key d \major \time 2/4 d8 d8 d8 g8 fis8 a8 fis8 d8 a'8 a'8 a'8 e8 cis8 e8 cis8 a'8 d8 d8 d8 g8 fis8 a8 fis8 d8 e8 g8 e8 cis8 d4 d4 fis8 a8 fis8 d8 fis8 a8 fis4 e8 g8 e8 cis8 e8 g8 e4 fis8 a8 fis8 d8 fis8 a8 fis4 e8 g8 e8 cis8 d4 d4 } </score>
What the Lyrics Say
The most common version of the song today is:
- Bobby Shafto's gone to sea,
- Silver buckles at his knee;
- He'll come back and marry me,
- Bonny Bobby Shafto!
- Bobby Shafto's bright and fair,
- Combing down his yellow hair;
- He's my love for evermore,
- Bonny Bobby Shafto!
This version is very similar to how the song first appeared in print in 1805.
Different Versions of the Song
Like many old folk songs, the words to "Bobby Shafto" have changed over time. Different books and people have sung it with slight variations. For example, an older version from 1812 included these extra lines:
- Bobby Shafto's tall and slim,
- He always dressed so neat and trim;
- The ladies they all kick at him,
- Bonny Bobby Shafto.
- Bobby Shafto's gettin' a bairn,
- For to dangle on his arm;
- In his arm and on his knee,
- Bobby Shafto loves me.
Sometimes, even the spelling of "Shafto" changed to "Shaftoe." This shows how songs can evolve as they are passed down through generations.
Who Was Bobby Shafto?
The song "Bobby Shafto" is believed to be about a real person named Robert Shafto. He was a politician in England during the 1700s. A politician is someone who is elected to represent people in the government. Robert Shafto was a Member of Parliament (MP) for County Durham.
The Song and Elections
During elections, people who supported Robert Shafto would sing this song to cheer him on. They even added a special verse for his 1761 election campaign:
- Bobby Shafto's looking out,
- All his ribbons flew about,
- All the ladies gave a shout,
- Hey for Bobby Shafto!
This shows how popular the song was and how it became connected to his public life.
A Story of Love and Marriage
The song is also linked to a story about Robert Shafto's personal life. It's said to be about how he married Anne Duncombe instead of another young woman named Bridget Belasyse. Bridget was reportedly very sad when she heard the news of his marriage.
Later, Robert Shafto's grandson, also named Robert, might have used the song during his own election campaigns in the 1800s. This helped keep the song popular for many years.
