A Sailor Dreams
(Bob Nolan)
Refrain:
There’s a lonely ship sailing somewhere
With the tide, the wind and a dream.
Will his love be waiting there?
Will his love be waiting there
In the harbor that his heart keeps dreaming of?
See the white foaming crest of each wave nodding,
“Yes, if your course be true."
Let the trade wind wails fill your flying sails.
She’ll be waiting there for you.
She’ll be waiting there for you.
Time and space fade away with the dawn of the day.
The harbor’s in view
And the heart that yearned holds a heart returned.
She’s still waiting there for you.
Yes, she’s waiting there for you.
"A Sailor Dreams" is one of the South Seas songs that resulted from his voyage to Hawaii in 1948 with his wife, P-Nuts. Finding this elusive song is the result of a long search and the assistance of two longtime Nolan fans. In 1998, Bob Nolan's daughter (Roberta Mileusnich) sent me a typed copy of the lyrics. The song had been registered for copyright in 1952 but Bobbie had no idea of the melody for no demo or recording was found.
After her death, her son, Calin Coburn, went through the single box of Nolan memorabilia she left him and found a rough lead sheet to the song. We sent this lead sheet to Dave Bourne and you are listening to the demo he made from it. Finally, in 2009, Barton Clark sent us a copy of the original sheet music.
Bob Nolan was a superb swimmer from the time he was a lifeguard in Tucson, Arizona, at Wetmore Pool. He made his living as a lifeguard in Santa Monica, California, during the first years of the Great Depression. As soon as he could afford one, he bought himself a sailboat.
Courtesy of Barton Clark
Courtesy of the late Roberta Nolan Mileusnich
From a rough 3-page music score in the Calin Coburn Collection Vol. 2
Photocopies of sheet music for this song are available from Calin Coburn, Bob Nolan's grandson. Email Calin for more details.
Far Enchanted Isle
Pali Wind
Stray Wind
Three Friends
Have I
The Wind is Warm
Again