King Billy Sessions
  Venezuela  
         
   

I met her in Venezuela
With a basket on her head.
And if she loved others she did not say
But I knew she'd do to pass away
To pass away the time in Venezuela.
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

I bought her a sash of blue
A beautiful sash of blue.
Because I knew that she could do
With all the tricks I knew she knew
To pass away the time in Venezuela.
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

Her lingo was strange, but the thought of her smile,
The thought of her beautiful smile.
Will haunt me and taunt me for many a mile
For she was my gal and she did the while
To pass away the time in Venezuela,
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

And when the wind was out to sea
The wind was out to see.
And she was taking leave of me
I said, "Cheer up. There'll always be
Sailors ashore in Venezuela.
Sailors ashore in Venezuela."

As performed by Cisco Houston
Composed by John Jacob Niles

Of note: John Jacob Niles said that while he was sitting in some bistro in Marseilles, he heard a group of Barbados sailors singing Venezuela, and he learned it from them. Later Niles siad, "I lied! I wrote it!" Niles claimed to have collected many songs during an era when it was a no-no to write your own.

 
 
         
 

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