Warning: This song is extremely catchy! All you have to do is listen to the mp3 below and then watch the video at the link and you’ll be singing it for weeks.

This song is called “Marry Me” or “A Little Sailor Boy”. It’s about men in different professions coming to ask a young lady for her hand in marriage. Here are the lyrics, followed by an mp3 recording and the link to the video…

A Little Sailor Boy

Boy:
I’m a little sailor, who comes from the sea,
Who comes from the sea just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a little sailor, who comes from the sea,
Who comes from the sea just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

2nd Boy:
I’m a simple farmer, who comes from the farm,
Who comes from the farm just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a simple farmer, who comes from the farm,
Who comes from the farm just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

3rd Boy:
I’m a humble preacher, who comes from the church,
Who comes from the church just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a humble preacher, who comes from the church,
Who comes from the church just to marry me,
Oh, I won’t marry, marry, marry,
I won’t marry you.

4th Boy:
I’m a simple banker, who comes from the bank,
Who comes from the bank just to marry you,
Oh, won’t you marry, marry, marry,
Won’t you marry me?

Girl:
You’re a simple banker who comes from the bank,
Who comes from the bank just to marry me,
Yes, I will marry; I will be your honey,
I will marry you.

MP3 of I’m a Little Sailor Boy

Nyango sent us this song with the note, “You can see Nigerian actor/musician, Nkem Owoh (aka Osuofia) and Maureen Solomon doing a souped up version of this one on youtube.” On the video, they call this song, “Marry Me”.

You can easily imagine a man who grew up with this song singing it to a lady in real life to ask her to marry him.

Check out our song page for A Little Sailor Boy, for French and Spanish translations, a midi and score.

Many thanks to Nyango M. Nambangi of the Minnesota African Women’s Association for contributing this song and for singing it for us!

Mama Lisa