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The Yarmouth Tragedy

[ Roud 187 ; Laws M38 ; Ballad Index LM38 ; trad.]

Tony Rose sang this ballad on his album Poor Fellows. He commented in the record's sleeve notes:

Only pallor and wanness seem to distinguish the “revenant” of the traditional ballad from the living…and that's scarcely foolproof! No wrathlike phantom, this—but a material, corporeal ghost, whose spectral status is betrayed only by his clammy ball-room hold. This broadside variant of the Lover's Ghost theme comes from the prodigious Marina Russell of Upway in Dorset, via the Hammonds and Frank Purslow's Foggy Dew.

There are two other completely different songs that also refer to a Nancy in Yarmouth, Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth (Roud 407), and Farewell Lovely Nancy (Roud 527; Laws K14).

Lyrics

In the dead of the night when all were a-sleeping
Young Jimmy's ghost to his love did appear
Crying loudly: “Rise me beautiful Nancy
Remember the vows that you made to your dear!”

“Who's that,” she cries, “calling under my window?
Surely it is the voice of me dear.”
And in raising her head from her downy soft pillow
Straight to the window she then did repair

By the light of the moon which brightly was shining
She spied her own true love who to her did say
“Oh your parents are sleeping - before they awaken
Rise my dear Nancy you must come away”

And a gown she'd embroidered with gold and with silver
Instantly round her middle she threw
And with a young maid who waited there upon her
Instantly down to the seaside did go

There it's close in his arms did the ghost then enfold her
“Jimmy,” she cried, “you are colder than clay
And surely you're not the young man I admire
For paler than death you appear to me.”

“Nancy”, he cries, “I am your true lover
But now I sleep in a watery grave
For your cruel parents have been my undoing
But dead or alive it's you I will have”

This trembling lady was sorely affrighted
Amazed she stood on the brink of the sea
All wringing her hands crying “Oh cruel parents
May Heaven reward you for your cruelty”

But still she cries: “My love I am coming
And in your arms it's soon I shall be”
And as soon as she spoke this unfortunate creature
Carelessly plunged herself into the sea

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Garry Gillard.