The topic of the sailor off to do his duty only to return and find his girl gave up on him and married another is as classic to this genre of music as trucks, heartache, and beer to country music. Nancy comes up a lot in these songs and often the name is relegated to the girl you want but proves unfaithful or even treacherous. This lyric poem cum song has many versions and is often dated to about the second quarter of the 19th century. However, Timothy Conner was an American seaman captured in 1777 by a British Man-O-War and brought back to imprisonment at England\u2019s Forton Prison at Portsmouth. To pass the time he collected songs sung by shipmates, other prisoners, local people and his manuscript was brought back to his home upon release. It was unknown until coming to light in 1893 but not taken seriously, regarded as \u201ccoarse sailor songs\u201d and tucked away until in 1976 George G Carey published it with his own notes and research. \u201cA New Song No 20\u201d does appear to be the antecedent of \u201cPretty Nancy of Yarmouth\u201d but told less as a moral tale than as a less refined sailor\u2019s song. I\u2019ll let you decide as you read\u2026 First the version of the song as Cliff sings it and has recorded it.<\/p>\n
Jos. Morneault<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth, she’s my own heart’s delight
\nAnd a long and kind letter unto her I did write;
\nAll for to inform her what we had to undergo
\nWhile sailing on the ocean where stormy winds blow.<\/p>\n
On the eighteenth of October our barque it set sail,
\nPretty Nancy came down for to bid me farewell;
\nShe said, \u201cWhile you’re sailing on the wild ocean blue,\u201d
\nShe said, \u201cMy young sailor, I’ll be faithful to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long years then did pass when back I did return
\nPretty Nancy was married, had a home of her own,
\nWhile I was a-sailing on the wide restless sea,
\nPretty Nancy proved faithless and false unto me.<\/p>\n
Come all you young sailors and listen to me
\nAnd never leave the lass you love for to plough the salt sea.
\nFor while you are sailing on the wide ocean blue,
\nShe’ll prove faithless like Nancy of Yarmouth to you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And using the same melody, apply this version jotted down in Forton Prison in 1777.<\/p>\n
Young Nancy of London who lives in tames Street (think Thames Street)
\nWho was courted by Jemmy that sails in the fleet
\nAnd when the stormy cold hurricanes do blow
\nHer heart was oppressed with sorrow and woe.<\/p>\n
Pretty Nancy my true love my joy and delight
\nReceive this kind letter I\u2019m just going to write
\nIt is to inform you and to let you know
\nThat on the Salt Seas many hurricanes blow.<\/p>\n
\u2018Twas last Sunday evening before it was dark
\nOur hounoured (sic) Captain perceived a mark
\nAll by a small cloud that appeared in the sky
\nAnd he told us of the terrible storm that was neigh (nigh)<\/p>\n
The wind being contrary and blew us aboute (about)
\nWhilst many brave Seamen both Valient and Stout
\nStood shivering and shacking between hope and despair
\nOne moment below, the next in the air.<\/p>\n
But by four in the morning just as it was day
\nOur honoured Captain unto us did say
\nCome cheer up brave lads and be of good cheer
\nFor whilst we have sea room the least is our fear.<\/p>\n
For a ship in distress love is a most dreadful sight,
\nLike an army of soldiers in a field where they fight
\nFor a soldier may fly from the beat of his drum
\nBut a sailor must submit to his watr\u2019y tomb.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The topic of the sailor off to do his duty only to return and find his girl gave up on him and married another is as classic to this genre of music as trucks, heartache, and beer to country music. Nancy comes up a lot in these songs and often the name is relegated to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":21,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4538","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4538"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4913,"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4538\/revisions\/4913"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thejovialcrew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}