The Girl I Left Behind Me

The Girl I Left Behind Me was originally a old English Folk Song dating back to the Elizabethan era. It was usally played for soldiers or sailors who were heading off to battle. Some other sources say it originated in 1758 when English Admirals Hawke and Rodney were observing the french fleet. The first printed version of the song appear in london in 1791. There were then several variations of the song, but most famously was the one imported to America, "Brighton Camp," which was a copy dating from around 1796.