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Lyr Add Nancy Jane? / Wrecking Crew?

18 Apr 01 - 07:04 PM (#443845)
Subject: Lyr Add: NANCY JANE? / WRECKING CREW?
From: Kernow John

In an earlier thread I asked if anyone knew of this song, I've managed to decipher the words from an old reel to reel recording, but know nothing about it.

The village I live in has well documented evidence of a local wrecking crew and our coast is littered with numerous wrecks.

Nancy Jane or Wrecking Crew?

On a winter's night of Plymouth Sound
We were setting a course for the Nancy Jane
Steering by alight from the Eddystone rock
When we ran aground in fathoms ten

Bad luck, bad luck to the wrecking crew
shining their lanterns on the shore
Ran us aground in fathoms ten
And the Nancy Jane will sail no more.

Well the winds blew high and the winds blew low
And the Nancy Jane lay fast aground
The Wrecking crew came along the rocks
To carry our cargo to high ground.

Then says our captain Bold Mackay
Although our numbers are but few
We'll throw our cargo to the waves
Before it's taken by the wrecking crew.

Bad luck, bad luck to the wrecking crew
shining their lanterns on the shore
Ran us aground in fathoms ten
And the Nancy Jane will sail no more.

Then our good ship broke up with a roar
And slipped off the rocks to the ocean floor
We all jumped clear to the rocky shore
But the Nancy Jane will sail no more
The Nancy Jane will sail no more


Regards KJ

18 Apr 01 - 07:24 PM (#443866)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add Nancy Jane/Wrecking Crew inforeq
From: Charley Noble

Thanks for posting this; I haven't run across it before. The first verse does have some typos that are easily corrected (see CAPS below):

On a winter's night OFF Plymouth Sound
We were setting a course for the Nancy Jane
Steering by A LIGHT from the Eddystone rock
When we ran aground in fathoms ten.

I'm not convinced it's traditional but there are not a lot of "wreaking" or "salvage" songs out there that I'm aware of.

16 Feb 23 - 01:22 PM (#4165329)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add Nancy Jane? / Wrecking Crew?
From: GUEST,Caj Sheen

Thanks for this, I have it on an old LP sung by The Chapter Three in the 60s.The record is probably well warped, I'd imagine, having been stored I the garage. X

16 Feb 23 - 02:40 PM (#4165337)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add Nancy Jane? / Wrecking Crew?
From: cnd

The song, released on their album Ramble Away (CBS 63007, 1967) and is credited to bandmember Peter Leroy but bears no additional explanation of its veracity. You can listen to it here. The lyrics match pretty closely to the originals posted by Kernow John and Charley Noble's amendments, except that this recording this recording calls the captain brave McKay.

Attempted clarification by Joe Offer: "Wrecking Crew', recorded by Chapter Three on the album Ramble Away: https://youtu.be/7MZNikrB3zU?t=1819