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Origins: Hey Nelly Nelly (Shel Silverstein)

08 Aug 06 - 12:03 PM (#1804465)
Subject: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: swamp_rat

im wondering hte chords the song hey nellie nellie......i never heard it until i heard gram parsons sing it ona early home recording cd i have...and also who else did this song?

the lyrics are

Hey Nellie, Nellie, come to the window.

Hey Nellie, Nellie, look at what I see.
   
He's ridin' into town on a sway-back mule.
      
He's got a tall black hat and he looks like a fool.
      
But he sure is talkin' like he's been to school, and it's 1853.


Hey Nellie, Nellie, listen what he's sayin'.

Hey Nellie, Nellie, he says it's gettin' late.

Says all them black folks should be free,
   
To walk around the same as you and me.

08 Aug 06 - 12:24 PM (#1804486)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: BuckMulligan

Judy Collins recorded it; don't know whether anyone else did this Shel Silverstein/Jim Friedman song.

08 Aug 06 - 12:50 PM (#1804514)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: HEY NELLIE NELLIE
From: Joe Offer

Lyrics are in the Digital Tradition. This page (click) has chords:

Nellie, Nellie

  C           Am C                Am C
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, come to the window.
  C           Am C    Am      G      Am
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, look at what I see.
       Dm                    Am
  He's ridin' into town on a sway-back mule.
             Dm                    Am
  He's got a tall black hat and he looks like a fool.
         Dm                             F  G                Am-G-Am
  But he sure is talkin' like he's been to school, and it's 1853.
  
  C           Am C                Am C
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, listen what he's sayin'.
  C           Am C       Am        G       Am
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, he says it's gettin' late.
       Dm                   Am
  Says all them black folks should be free,
     Dm                      Am
  To walk around the same as you and me.
       Dm                                  F  G            Am-G-Am
  He's talkin' about a thing they call democracy, and it's 1858.
  
  C           Am C                Am C
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, come to the window.
  C           Am C    Am      G       Am
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, hand me down my gun.
          Dm                       Am
  For the men are cheerin' and the boys are too,
  
          Dm                   Am
  They're all puttin' on their coats of blue.
        Dm                                F  G             Am-G-Am
  And I ain't got no time to sit and talk to you, and it's 1861.
  
  C           Am C                Am C
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, come to the window.
  C           Am C    Am        G     Am
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, I've come back alive.
     Dm              Am
  My coat of blue is stained with red,
          Dm                    Am
  And the man in the tall black hat is dead.
         Dm                                F  G             Am-G-Am
  But we sure will remember all the things he said, and it's 1865.
  
  C           Am C                Am C
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, come to the window.
  C           Am C    Am      G      Am
  Hey Nellie, Nellie, look at what I see.
            Dm                              Am
  There are white folks and colored walkin' side by side,
    Dm                            Am
  A-marchin' in a column that's a century wide.
           Dm                        F  G              Am-G-Am
  It was a long and a hard and a bloody ride, and it's 1963.

08 Aug 06 - 03:38 PM (#1804660)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: GUEST,Barry T not at home

SR> who else did this song

The Back Porch Majority (off-shoot of the New Christy Minstrels) recorded a terrific version... on the Live at Leadbetter's LP, I believe.

- - - - -

08 Aug 06 - 06:47 PM (#1804774)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: Susanne (skw)

Hamish Imlach and Iain MacKintosh used to do the song, though to the best of my knowledge they never recorded it. I love their version.

23 Aug 06 - 06:21 AM (#1816833)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: Jim Dixon

Both The BMI Repertoire and Allmusic.com say HEY NELLIE NELLIE was written by David Fromer, Jonathan Fromer, and Elbert Robinson. Gram Parsons recorded it on "Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons, 1965-1966."

HEY NELLY NELLY, on the other hand (note the spelling difference) was written by Jim Friedman and Shel Silverstein. It was recorded by The Back Porch Majority, Judy Collins, and Shawn Phillips. BMI says HEY WILLIE WILLIE is an alternate title.

I've listened to sound samples, and they sure sound like the same song.

I don't claim to know how these things happen; I only report what I find.

NELLY NELLY (according to BMI) was written by Gordon Menzies and Robin Watson. I have no idea what that sounds like.

23 Aug 06 - 08:40 AM (#1816920)
Subject: RE: Chord Req: hey nellie nellie
From: InOBU

My this takes me back! When I was a little felllow, I used to sing in a Quaker trio with, Suki Scott, the daughter of the late Tom Scott who used to accompany Woody Guthrie) Dianna Casper and me, and we used to do this song... for years I would play it every new years eve to mark the passing of another year of struggle...
Thanks for the memories...
lorcan

24 Nov 20 - 04:39 PM (#4080835)
Subject: RE: hey nellie nellie
From: GUEST,Felipa

I don't recall hearing this song before but have just come across Judy Collins singing Hey Nelly, Nelly on a clip on youtube; the third song in this compilation: Music of the Sixties

25 Nov 20 - 04:49 AM (#4080894)
Subject: DT Correction: Hey Nelly Nelly (Silverstein et al)
From: Joe Offer

Here are the Digital Tradition Lyrics, with my corrections on the right. Corrections are very minor, based on the 1963 Judy Collins recording:

HEY NELLY NELLY (Digital Tradition)


Hey Nelly Nelly, come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly look at what I see
He's riding into town on a sway back mule
Got a tall black hat and he looks like a fool
He sure is talkin' like he's been to school
And it's 1853

Hey Nelly Nelly, listen what he's sayin'
Hey Nelly Nelly, he says it's gettin' late
And he says them black folks should all be free
To walk around the same as you and me
He's talkin' 'bout a thing he calls democracy
And it's 1858

Hey Nelly Nelly hear the band a playing
Hey Nelly Nelly, hand me down my gun
"Cause the men are cheerin' and the boys are too
They're all puttin' on their coats of blue
I can't sit around here and talk to you
"Cause it's 1861

Hey Nelly Nelly, Come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly, I've come back alive
My coat of blue is stained with red
And the man in the tall black hat is dead
We sure will remember all the things he said
In 1865

Hey Nelly Nelly, come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly, look at what I see
I see white folks and colored walkin' side by side
They're walkin' in a column that's a century wide
It's still a long and a hard and a bloody ride
In 1963

@war @American @Civil war @Civil rights @Negro
by Shel Silverstein and Jim Friedman
recorded by Judy Collins
filename[ HEYNELLY
SOF		 HEY NELLY NELLY (Corrected)
(James Friedman and Shel Silverstein)

Hey Nelly Nelly, come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly, look at what I see
He's riding into town on a swayback mule
Got a tall black hat and he looks like a fool
He sure is talkin' like he's been to school
And it's 1853

Hey Nelly Nelly, listen what he's sayin'
Hey Nelly Nelly, he says it's gettin' late
And he says them black folks should all be free
To walk around the same as you and me
He's talkin' 'bout a thing he calls democracy
And it's 1858

Hey Nelly Nelly hear the band a-playing
Hey Nelly Nelly, hand me down my gun
'Cause the men are cheerin' and the boys are too
They're all puttin' on their coats of blue
I can't sit around here and talk to you
'Cause it's 1861

Hey Nelly Nelly, Come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly, I've come home alive
My coat of blue is stained with red
And the man in the tall black hat is dead
We sure will remember all the things he said
In 1865

Hey Nelly Nelly, come to the window
Hey Nelly Nelly, look at what I see
I see white folks and colored walkin' side by side
They're walkin' in a column that's a century wide
It's still a long and a hard and a bloody ride
In 1963

@war @American @Civil war @Civil rights @Negro
by Shel Silverstein and Jim Friedman
recorded by Judy Collins
filename[ HEYNELLY
SOF


Here's the 1963 Judy Collins recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ujW5ev7Rk

Gram Parsons recording of "Hey Nellie Nellie": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56OFRzxvt0k

Recording by The Womenfolk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-nJzMS0Q4M

Live recording by Joe and Eddie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KhBN3Tjokc - they sing "And he says that all folks deserve to be free"

In the 1865 verse, some artists sing, "Hey Nelly Nelly, now the war is over...."

26 Nov 20 - 07:12 AM (#4081014)
Subject: RE: Origins: Hey Nelly Nelly (Shel Silverstein)
From: GMGough

The song was recorded by Julie Felix
and released on her first album in 1964.