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Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

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[Verse 1]
DAdieu, sweet lovely GNancDy, ten thousaA7nd times aDdieu.
DI am going across the Gocean, Dlove, to seek fA7or something Dnew.
DCome change your ring with me, deaGr girl,
Come Dchange your Gring Dwith A7me.
DThat it might be a Gtoken of truDe love when I A7am on the sDea.
[Verse 2]
DAnd when I'm far upoGn the Dsea you'll kA7now not where I Dam.
DKind letters I will wrGite to Dyou from every A7foreign Dland.
DThe secrets of my heart, dear gGirl,
And tDhe best oGf my Dgood A7will.
DSo let your body be Gwhere it miDght, my hA7eart will be with you Dstill.
[Verse 3]
DThere's a heavy Gstorm arDising: see hoA7w it gathers Dround.
DWhile we poor souls on the Gocean Dwide are fA7ighting for the DCrown.
DThere's nothing to protect us, Glove,
Or Dkeep us fGrom Dthe A7cold,
DOn the ocean wide wGhere we must Dbide like jA7olly sailors Dbold.
[Verse 4]
DThere's tinkers, Gtailors, Dshoemakers lie A7snoring fast Dasleep,
DWhile we poor Gsouls on the Docean wide are A7ploughing through the Ddeep.
DOur officers commanded Gus
And Dthen we Gmust DobeA7y,
DExpecting every Gmoment we Dmay be A7cast Daway.
[Verse 5]
DAnd when the wars Gare ovDer there'll be A7peace on every Dshore.
DWe'll return to our Gwives and our Dfamilies and the A7girls that we Dadore.
DWe'll drink our liquor merriGly
And Dspend our Gmoney DfrA7ee,
DAnd when our money Git is all gDone we'll A7boldly go to Dsea.

All chords in this song (3)

The story behind the song

This traditional folk song captures the poignant moment of parting, as a sailor bids farewell to his beloved Nancy. It speaks of the promises made before a long voyage, with vows to write "from every foreign land." Yet, there's a clear-eyed understanding of the harsh realities and dangers of life at sea, a world where "there's nothing to protect us." It’s a tender yet resolute expression of love facing an uncertain future.

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Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

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Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy

by Misc Traditional

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Verse 1]

D G D A7 D

Adieu, sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu.

D G D A7 D

I am going across the ocean, love, to seek for something new.

D G

Come change your ring with me, dear girl,

D G D A7

Come change your ring with me.

D G D A7 D

That it might be a token of true love when I am on the sea.

[Verse 2]

D G D A7 D

And when I'm far upon the sea you'll know not where I am.

D G D A7 D

Kind letters I will write to you from every foreign land.

D G

The secrets of my heart, dear girl,

D G D A7

And the best of my good will.

D G D A7 D

So let your body be where it might, my heart will be with you still.

[Verse 3]

D G D A7 D

There's a heavy storm arising: see how it gathers round.

D G D A7 D

While we poor souls on the ocean wide are fighting for the Crown.

D G

There's nothing to protect us, love,

D G D A7

Or keep us from the cold,

D G D A7 D

On the ocean wide where we must bide like jolly sailors bold.

[Verse 4]

D G D A7 D

There's tinkers, tailors, shoemakers lie snoring fast asleep,

D G D A7 D

While we poor souls on the ocean wide are ploughing through the deep.

D G

Our officers commanded us

D G D A7

And then we must obey,

D G D A7 D

Expecting every moment we may be cast away.

[Verse 5]

D G D A7 D

And when the wars are over there'll be peace on every shore.

D G D A7 D

We'll return to our wives and our families and the girls that we adore.

D G

We'll drink our liquor merrily

D G D A7

And spend our money free,

D G D A7 D

And when our money it is all gone we'll boldly go to sea.

About Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy Chords by Misc Traditional

Learn how to play Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy by Misc Traditional with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy chords”, “Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy guitar chords”, or “Misc Traditional Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy chords and for experienced players who want accurate Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, G, A7.

FAQ — Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy by Misc Traditional

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The chords for "Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy" show the original chord names (including D, G, A7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.