All Things are Quite Silent

This song was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams in Sussex in 1904 from a Ted Baines and is a lament by a woman whose husband has been taken from their marriage bed by the Press Gang to Serve in the Royal Navy.

I got the words and tune from The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. The tune is in the Dorian mode and the chords are for the tune as it is in the Penguin Book.
In the end though, I sang it a tone higher using a ukulele tuned ADF#B.

You can hear my version on You Tube

Chords used in this song

All [Dm] things are quite [G] silent, each [C] mortal at [Dm] rest,

When [Dm] me and my [G] true love got [C] snug in one [Dm] nest,

When a [G] bold set of [Am] ruffians they [Dm] entered our [Am] cave,

And they [Dm] forced my dear [G] jewel to [C] plough the salt [Dm] wave.

I [Dm] begged hard for my [G] sailor as though [C] I begged for [Dm] life.

They'd [Dm] not listen [G] to me al[C]though a fond [Dm] wife,

Saying: [G] "The king he wants [Am] sailors, to the [Dm] sea he must  [Am]go,"

And [Dm] they've left me [G] lamenting in [C] sorrow and [Dm] woe.

Through [Dm] green fields and [G] meadows we [C] ofttimes did [Dm] walk,

And [Dm] sweet conver [G]sation of [C] love we have [Dm] talked,

With the [G] birds in the [Am] woodland so [Dm] sweetly did [Am] sing,

And the [Dm] lovely thrushes' [G] voices made the [C] valleys to [Dm] ring.

Al[Dm]though my love's [G] gone I will [C] not be cast [Dm] down.

Who [Dm] knows but my [G] sailor may [C] once more re[Dm]turn?

And [G] will make me a[Am]mends for all [Dm] trouble and [Am] strife,

And my [Dm] true love and [G] I might live [C] happy for [Dm] life.