Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

DESCRIPTION: "Adieu sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu." The sailor must go over the sea "to seek for something new." He promises (to write, and tells) Nancy that, "Let my body go where it will, my heart will love you still." He hopes for a safe return
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1846 (Brown, Etchings of a Whaling Cruise With Notes of a Sojourn on the Island of Zanzibar)
KEYWORDS: sailor separation
FOUND IN: Britain(England(South,West)) US(MW) Australia Canada(Newf)
REFERENCES (12 citations):
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "ADIEU, SWEET LOVELY NANCY"
Eddy-BalladsAndSongsFromOhio 153, (fourth of several "Fragments of Irish Songs")
Peacock, p. 877, "Good-bye My Lovely Annie" (1 text, 1 tune)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Wt 516, "Adieu My Lovely Nancy" (1 text)
Williams-Wiltshire-WSRO Gl 133, "Isle of Wight" (1 text)
Cologne/Morrison-WiltshireFolkSongs, pp. 36-37, "Adieu My Lovely Nancy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Copper-ASongForEverySeason, pp. 244-245, "Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Baring-Gould/Sheppard-SongsOfTheWest2ndEd, #38, "The Sailor's Farewell" (1 text, 1 tune)
Meredith/Anderson-FolkSongsOfAustralia, pp. 178-179, "Lovely Nancy" (1 text, 1 tune)
Huntington-SongsTheWhalemenSang, p. 260, "(Mary's Cot)" (1 text, mostly from this song though the first verse is "The Rose of Allandale")
DT, SWTNANCY
ADDITIONAL: John Ross Brown, _Etchings of a Whaling Cruise With Notes of a Sojourn on the Island of Zanzibar_, Harper & Brothers, 1846 (available on Google Books) p. 18, "Parting Moments" (1 short text)

Roud #165
RECORDINGS:
Steve Gardham, "Sweet Lovely Nancy" (Piotr-Archive #343, recorded 11/02/2022)
Howard Morry, "Good-bye My Lovely Annie" (on PeacockCDROM) [one verse only]

BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 17(175a), "Lovely Nancy" ("Adieu, my lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adie"), Swindells (Manchester)), 1796-1853
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "The Whale-Catchers" (lyrics)
cf. "Old Kitarden" (lyrics)
cf. "The Bold Privateer" [Laws O32] (lyrics)
cf. "I Love My Sailor Boy" (lyrics)
NOTES [14 words]: Thanks to Jim Dixon for pointing out the "Etchings of a Whaling Cruise" citation. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.8
File: E153D

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography

The Ballad Index Copyright 2024 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.