Here's adieu, sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu,
I'm a-going around the ocean, love, to seek for something new.
Come change your ring with me, dear girl, Come change your ring with me,
For it might be a token of true love while I am on the sea.

When I am far upon the sea you know not where I am,
Kind letters I will write to you from every foreign land.
The secrets of your heart, dear girl, Are the best of my good will,
So let your body be where it might my heart shall be with you still.

There's a heavy storm a-rising see how it gathers round,
While we poor souls on the ocean wide are fighting for the Crown.
There is nothing to protect us, love, Or to keep us from the cold,
On the ocean wide where we must bide like jolly seamen bold.

There are tinkers, tailors and shoemakers lie snoring fast asleep
While we poor souls on the ocean wide are ploughing through the deep.
Our officers commanding us and them we must obey,
Expecting every moment for to get cast away.

But when the wars are all over there'll be peace on every shore,
We'll return to our wives and families and the girls that we adore.
We will call for liquor merrily, We will spend our money free,
And when our money it is all gone we'll boldly go to sea.

Remembered as old Will Moppett's song. He was a carter of Rottingdean. It was one of about thirty songs that 'Brasser' wrote the words of for the farmer's daughter in 1922. He wrote, "Here's a dew sweet Lovely Nancy ..."

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The Copper Family Song Book
The Copper Family

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New: 7 August 1998 | Now: 23 December 2000 | The background to this page is an enlargement from the Index to Jim Copper's pre-War song book written in an account book. | Garry Gillard