Adieu sweet lovely Nancy

Adieu, sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu

I'm a-going round 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, who knows 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 my body be where it might, my heart is with you still.

There's a heavy storm arising, see how it comes around

While we poor sailors are on the sea, a-fighting for the crown

Our officer commanded us, and him we must obey

Expecting every moment all to get cast away.

There are tinkers, tailors, and shoemakers, lie snoring in their sleep

While we poor souls on the ocean wide are a-plowing through the deep

There's nothing to defend us, love, nor to keep us from the cold

On the ocean wide, where we must bide like jolly seamen bold.

But when the wars are over, there'll be peace on every shore

We will drink to our wives and our children, and the girls that we adore

We'll call for liquor merrily, and spend our money free

And when the money it is all gone, we'll boldly go to sea.

So adieu, sweet lovely Nancy, ten thousand times adieu

I'm a-going round 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.