This version is from Sam Henry's Songs of the People . Other versions of the song are a conversation between a mother and her daughter.
Tarry trousers refers to the sailor's practice of waterproofing their trousers with tar.
It was published as Consent at Last in Thomas D'Urfey's Wit and Mirth or Pills to Purge Melancholy in 1700. It is also known as The Spanish Merchant's Daughter . For a discussion of the song and the earliest lyrics go to Bruce Olsen's Roots of Folk Website, Scarce Songs 1 for Spanish Merchant's Daughter . The Duty of Seamen From 1707 France, but it's pretty interesting reading. See Bibliography for full information.