101. Charming Nancy

lOI

Charming Nancy

Separated from 'Jack Munroe' only because here the girl does not
actually go to sea with her lover but only threatens to do so; she
stays on land, and sees her lover swept off the ship's deck and
drowned. Previously reported from North Carolina (FSRA 68-9).

A

Tarewell, Charming Nancy.' Reported by L. W. Anderson of Nag's
Head as collected by Delma Haywood from Mrs. Sallie Meekins of
Cohngton (Albemarle Sound).

I 'Farewell, charming Nancy,
Since I must go and leave you ;
My cost of East Indies
This morning must steer. ^
And don't let the long voyage
Be any uneasiness to you.
And don't let these land boys
Disturb your sweet mind.'

2 'Just like some little sea boy.
Love, I'll dress and go with you;
Love, I'll be ready

Your topsails to hand.'
'Your lily-white fingers
Our topsails can't handle,
Your snowy white feet
On our topmast can't stand ;
And the cold stormy winds, love,
You never can endure them.
Stay at home, charming Nancy,
While you're safe on the land.'

3 While Nancy was walking
All down by the harbor
The ship was out

Some way from the shore.
The ship she misstayed
And the boom tossed him over.
She died at the sight
And enjoyed him no more.

 

'Charming Nancy.' Sung by Mrs. Charles K. Tillett of Wanchese,
Roanoke Island, in December 1922. With the tune.

^The reading of B here, "It's to the East Indies my course I must
steer," is presumably correct.

 

320 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

1 'Farewell, charming Nancy, since I must go and leave you.
It's to the East Indies my course I must steer.

If you will prove roal, love, I will prove stonance,^
And we will be married if there ['s] nothing to fear.

2 'Don't let my long voyage be any uneasement to you,
Nor let these land boys disturb your sweet mind ;
For when I am sailing on the salt briny ocean

I'll think of purty Nancy whom I left far behind.'

3 'Like some little sailor I'll dress and go with you ;

In the midest of all danger by your side I will stand ;
When the wind it is blowing and the ship she is dashing
It's love, I'll be ready your topsails to hand.'

4 'Your purty little fingers our tackle can't handle,
Your snowy white breast to our topmast can't go ;

These cold stormy winds, love, you cannot endure them ;
So stay at home, Nancy, and don't leave the shore.'

5 As she was a-walking by the break of the ocean.
The ship she was tossed to and fro by the waves.

The ship she misstayed ; and the boom tossed him over.
She died at the sight and enjoyed him no more.

c

'Charming Nancy.' From the Reverend L. D. Hayman of Elizabeth
City, Pasquotank county. Nine lines only, the waist-and-fingers dialogue.

 

'The Sailor.' Reported by Julian P. Boyd of Alliance. Pamlico county,
as collected from Clifton McCotter, one of his pupils there. Two
stanzas only, and these should probably have been assigned to 'Jack
Munro.' The first of the two is the same as the opening stanza of
'Jack Munro' A; the second presents a curious confusion, making him
go to a tailor's shop and dress "in mincereal," presumably a corruption
of "in men's array" and therefore meaningless when applied to the man.
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lOI

Charming Nancy

B

'Charming Nancy.' Sung by C. K. Tillett. Recorded at Wanchese, Roanoke
Island, no date. This is merely a fragment. The record is particularly poor
and breaks off with "West Indies." (The singer sings "West" instead of "East"
as the printed text gives it.) The same singer sang this song for the FSRA
collectors, but in our version he changes the temporal values of the individual
tones. This is the first time such differences have been encountered in the
numerous versions by this singer. In spite of it all there still remains some
melodic similarity.


For melodic relationship cf. **FSRA 68.

Scale : Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center : e-flat. Structure : (too fragmentary

for analysis).

 

'Charming Nancy.' Sung by anonymous singer. Recorded at Elizabeth City,
Pasquotank county, no date. Cf. ASM 321. Owing to the fact that there are
two interlinked pentatonic modes (Mode II on d, and Mode III on f as well as
Mode I on c, the latter of which is merely a transposition of the former), this
song is particularly rich in idioms familiar from medieval music as well as
Gregorian Chant: f-g-b-flat; c-b-flat-g, etc.


Scale: Hexachordal, plagal. Tonal Center: f. Structure: abcc (2,2,1,1) = abc
(2,2,2).