Historical Folk Lyrics
"Nancy Of London"

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0 Jimmy, lovely Jimmy, what you are saying is true,
It's sixteen months or better since I fell in love with you,
It's sixteen months or better since I fell in love with thee,
0 stay on shore, my lovely Jimmy, prove true and marry me.

If I should stay on shore, my love, some other would take my place,
And that would be a scandal, love, likewise a deep disgrace.
The Queen has ordered for seamen bold and I for one must go,
All for my life this very night, love, I should not answer No.

I will cut off my yellow locks, men's clothing I'll put on,
And I will go along with you to be your waiting man.
Perhaps in battle you may .be when you may raise a ball,
I'll bandage up your bleeding wounds, love, I will be at your call.

Your waist it is too slender, love, your fingers they are too small,
To wait on you in battle upon you I will call,
Where big guns loud do rattle and a musket ball do fly.
The silver trumpet shall sound, my love, to drown all dismal cry.

If I should meet some other girl, so bonny, brisk and gay,
If I should fall in love with her, what would my Nancy say?
What would your Nancy say, Jimmy, sure she would like her too,
She'd gently step on one side when she'd be kissing you.

0 Nancy, my lovely Nancy, those words have gone to my heart,
This night we will get married and that before we part.
This night we will get married riding safe over the main.
God send us safe returns again, my own dear soldier maid.

Another Version

It's on one Sunday morning all in the month of May,
We hoisted English colours and we soon got under way;
The sun did shine most glorious, for Lewisberg we're bound,
The hills and fields are covered with pretty girls all round.

Don't you say so, dear Willie, those words it breaks my heart,
Let you and I get married this night before we part.
For the king hath wrote for seamen boys and I for one must go,
And on your virgin life, my dear, I can't say No.

My yellow locks _I will cut off, man's apparel I'll put on,
And I will go along with you and be your servant man,
And when your watch it is on deck your duty I will do,
Or on the fields of battle, my love, I'll attend on you.

0 no, your pretty little fingers, love, they areĀ· too slight and small,
Your waist it is too slender to face those cannon balls.
The cannon balls do rattle and silver then do fly,
And the silvery trumpets around me do drown all dismal cries.

0 Nancy from London from a clear purling stream
Was courted by Willie on board of the Fame,
Was courted by Willie a long while ago,
And he's on the sea sailing where the stormy winds blow.

The stormy winds blow, love, makes my heart to ache,
Causes my parlour window to shiver and shake.
God knows where my love lies, he's far from the shore
And I'll pray for his safety. What can I do more?

A ship on the ocean it's a wonderful sight,
Like an army of soldiers just going to fight,
But a soldier can lay down his fire-arms and run,
While a seaman must yield to a watery tomb.

When seamen go drinking, drink the health to their wives;
Young men love their sweethearts as they love their lives,
And the health bowl goes round with a full glass in hand.
Here's a health to loving Nancy we left on dry land.

Green grow the rushes o'er the tops of them small [or all],
My love it's a peril that will grow o'er them all.
The green leaf will wither and the root will decay,
And the red rose will flourish when my love comes from sea.