The Wreck Of The Nancy Lee

Een musichall-lied van Engelse oorsprong, geschreven door Arthur LeClerc, circa 1930. Het was populair (ook in de VS) in de eerste helft van de 20 ste eeuw en werd vaak gezongen door Britse soldaten in de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

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I’ll tell you the tale of the “Nancy Lee”,

The ship that got shipwrecked at sea

And the bravest man was Captain Brown,

‘Cause he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

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All the crew was in despair,

Some rushed here and some rushed there.

But… the Captain sat in the Captain's chair,

And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

Well, the Captain said to Seaman Jones:

"You'd best put on your working clothes.

While you stand and spray your hose

I can play me ukulele as the ship goes down."

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Well the owners signalled to the crew

Saying, "Do the best that you can do.

We're only insured for half a crown,

We'lI be out of pocket if the ship goes down."

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Now the Captain's wife was on board ship

And he was very glad of it.

But she could swim and she might not drown,

So we tied her to the anchor as the ship went down.

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Now the crow's nest fell and killed the crow.

The starboard watch was two hours slow.

But the Captain sang “Fal-oh-de-oh-doh!”

And he played his ukulele as the ship went down.

Refrein