Trad Tuesday: Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy performed by Mick McAuley and Winifred Horan

Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy is one of the best-known songs from the repertoire of the Copper Family. It was published in the first issue of the Journal of the Folk Song Society, Vol. 1, No. 1, in 1899, and is printed in The Copper Family Song Book and in Bob Copper's book, A Song for Every Season. Bob and John Copper sang it on their 4 LP box set of 1971, A Song for Every Season, that accompanied the book and Jill and Jon Copper sang it on the first Coppersongs LP.


Lyrics:

Adieu sweet lovely Nancy
Ten thousand times adieu
I am bound to cross the ocean
To seek for soemthing new
Come change your ring with me dear girl
Come change your ring with me
That it might be a token of true love
When I am on the sea

And now that I am on the sea
I know not where I am
Kind letters I will write to you
From every foreign land
The secrets of my mind fine girl
The best of all goodwill
So let your body be where it is
My heart will be with you still

There's a heavy storm arising
See how it gathers round
While wepoor souls on the ocean wide
Are fighting for the crown
Our officer commands us
And it's him we must obey
Expecting every moment
For to get washed away

There are tinkers tailors shoemakers
Lie snoring asleep
While we poor souls on the ocean wide
Are ploughing through the deep
There's no-one to defend us love
And keep us from the cold
On the ocean wide where we must bide
Like jolly sailors all

And now the wars are over
They'll be peace on every shore
We'll drink to our wives and our children
And the girls that we adore
We'll call for liquor merrily
And spend our money free
And when our money is all gone
We'll boldly go to sea