Lyr Req: Charming Nancy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: leeneia
Date: 25 May 21 - 12:41 PM

As a person who has listened to a lot of folk music, I suspected as soon as I heard that she was selling fish that this would not end happily. In old Irish songs, fish was the food of the poor, and fish and its purveyors are looked down upon.

Whether its old or new, I'd call this a forgettable song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: GUEST,Arnold
Date: 24 May 21 - 02:19 AM

Hello Reinhard,
that's it! Thank you so much.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 22 May 21 - 10:01 AM

Can't find anything like it in Greig-Duncan or my indexes. I suspect it's a more recent piece.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: Reinhard
Date: 22 May 21 - 07:12 AM

I've tried transcribing Charming Nancy from the Youtube copy of the Brier album. Beware, there may be any amount of mishearings...

CHARMING NANCY

As I came in by Auchterless(?) town
I met a charming lassie-o
And she was neat about the waist
And tripped along right handy-o

Said I, sweet maid, come tell to me
Your name and occupation-o
And the answer that she gave to me
I'm known as charming Nancy-o

Row tow de tiddy rye dow
Row tiddly aye tiddly aye do
Row tow de tiddly aye dow
I'm a-called charming Nancy-o

And would you like to buy some fish
For I'm a monger's daughter-o
I will give to you, kind sir,
The choice in all my basket-o

I sat her down upon the ground
And took my place beside her-o
Said I, sweet maid, don't be afraid
For I'll purchase all from Nancy-o

Row tow de tiddy rye dow
Row tiddly aye tiddly aye do
Row tow de tiddly aye dow
And he called her charming Nancy-o

Five shilling's been the sum to pay
I took it from my wallet-o
Then proceeded to admire
The slender dark-eyed beauty-o

For she was fair beyond compare
Her skin was like the lily-o
There ne'er was seen a grecian queen
To match the charms of Nancy-o

Row tow de tiddy rye dow
Row tiddly aye tiddly aye do
Row tow de tiddly aye dow
And I've called her charming Nancy-o

When I awoke out off my sleep
Stars they were a-peeping-o
The day has passed, the night come on
While I lay there a-sleeping-o

I breathed a sigh and turned around
And spied my wallet empty-o
My money was gone, so were my clothes
And also charming Nancy-o

Row tow de tiddy rye dow
Row tiddly aye tiddly aye do
Row tow de tiddly aye dow
And they call her charming Nancy-o

So all young man a-roaming go
Around by Auchterless town-o
Beware of charming females
And all fishmonger's daughters-o

For failing this you learn like me
And dearly for a cran-o
I lost my love, my money good
To the so-called charming Nancy-o

Row tow de tiddy rye dow
Row tiddly aye tiddly aye do
Row tow de tiddly aye dow
And they call her charming Nancy-o

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: GUEST,Arnold
Date: 22 May 21 - 03:51 AM

Well the song starts with
As I came in by Auchterless(?) town
I met a charming lassie-o

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 21 May 21 - 05:59 PM

There are hundreds of Nancy songs. We need a bit more of the text to identify it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: Reinhard
Date: 21 May 21 - 01:00 PM

There are versions of "Farewell Nancy" (Roud 527) that are called "Charming Nancy" but this one seems to be a different song. It starts with the line "As I came in by [Ar...?] town I met a charming lassie o".

See Brier - Ireland's Favourite Folk Group | Full Album on YouTube, starting at 11:26.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 21 - 12:40 PM

The full name seems to be Farewell Charming Nancy or Farewell Lovely Nancy

In a search of the Mudcat DT I find the thread Chord Req: Lovely Nancy has several sets of words.

Subject: Lyr Req: Charming Nancy
From: GUEST,Arnold
Date: 21 May 21 - 02:22 AM

Hello,
I've heard the song "Charming Nancy" on a Brier CD. Does anyone know the lyrics. Thanks so much.