#401 - Where is My Nancy?

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Composer:¹⁾
- George William Hunt
  (1839-1904), 1869
- popularized by Harry Rickards
- An 1869 broadside lists it as “Tune—Original”
Also known as:
- Does Any One Know Where My Nancy's Gone?
- Can Nobody Tell Me Where Nancy's Gone?
- Can Anyone Tell Me Where My Nancy Has Gone?
- Can Anyone Tell Me Where Nancy's Gone?
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Incipit: 3543231512523313
Condensed Incipit: 354323151252313
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Lyrics:
A charming young creature named Nancy Barr,
Nancy Barr, lived with her ma;
Of fair ones, oh! she was the fairest by far,
A charmer bewitching and smart.
No dicky-bird singing up in the sky,
In the sky, was more happy than I,
But to happiness now I have said “goodbye”,
For to pieces she's broken my heart!

chorus:
Does any one know where my Nancy's gone?
Nancy's gone, Nancy's gone;
Does any one know where my Nancy's gone?
Where, oh! where is my Nancy?

At a ball I first met her one night by chance,
Quite by chance, couldn't she dance,
While others would clumsily shuffle and prance,
Her waltzing was something divine.
I felt I was madly in love at first sight,
Love at first sight, lumps of delight,
When I took her to supper and did the polite,
Or helped her to ices and wine.

When she spoke, oh! my head spun round like a top,
My heart went wop, and flippity flop!
So the terrible question I ventured to “pop”,
She blushed, and then softly said “yes”.
I measured her finger and bought the ring,
Bought the ring, 'twas just the thing;
All the next week did nothing but dance and sing,
My joy there are few who could guess.

The day it was fixed, and I felt so gay,
Oh! so gay, in my bridal array;
As I went to the church little boys cried “hooray”,
I felt quite inflated with pride.
We were to be married at Hanover Square,
Hanover Square, carriage and pair;
When I got to the church she wasn't there!
Oh! where was my Nancy, my bride?

They say she's eloped with a Horse Guard Blue,
A Horse Guard Blue, oh! a regular do;
I thought her so pretty, so good, and so true,
I felt really out of my mind.
I've searched for her everywhere, but in vain,
All in vain, I feel all over pain,
When I think I may never look on her again,
But I'll wander till Nancy I find.

So, does any one know where my Nancy's gone?
Nancy's gone, Nancy's gone;
Can't somebody tell me where Nancy's gone?
Oh! where, ah! oh, where is my Nancy?
- George William Hunt
  (1839-1904), 1869

¹⁾

identification by title only