They talk about writing what you know and with the late Cyril Tawney's words, that's exactly what you get.
I first heard this song through Martin Simpson when I saw him in the Dorchester Arts Centre on his 'Bramble Briar' tour in 2001, a sensitive performance of the song encapsulating the depth of the lyrics, something I have worked on recreating since... I think that I am settled on this one, even though I have subsequently learned that a verse is missing from the lyrics!
The song itself and its history should be best explained by the man himself, see: http://www.cyriltawney.co.uk/depth.htm#sammy but in brief; this song is set in Malta, the places are real and the people and plot represent different occasions in Tawney's life whilst stationed there.
To clarify, word 'di-so' in the second refrain is the the phonetic pronunciation of the Maltese 'dghaisa' which is a hired craft that took sailors back to their ship after a night on the shore.
As far as drunken laments go, this is a keeper!
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