Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Stan Rogers
Canonical path: /stan-rogers/the-nancy
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
The Nancy
Read The Nancy lyrics by Stan Rogers on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
The Nancy
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
What clothes men wear do give them airs, the fellows do compare
A colonel's regimentals shine, and women call him fair
I am Alexander MacIntosh, nephew to the Laird
And I do disdain men who are vain, the men with powdered hair
I command the Nancy Schooner from the Moy on Lake St. Claire
On the third day of October, boys, I did set sail from there
To the garrison at Amherstburg I quickly would repair
With Captain Maxwell and his wife and kids and powdered hair
Aboard the Nancy
In regimentals bright
Aboard the Nancy
With all his pomp and bluster there, aboard the Nancy-o
Below the St. Clair rapids I sent scouts unto the shore
To ask a friendly Whyandot to say what lay before
"Amherstburg has fallen, with the same for you in store!
And militia sent to take you there, fifty horse or more. "
Well up comes Captain Maxwell then: Surrender, now, I say!
Give up your Nancy schooner and make off without delay!
Set me ashore, I do implore. I will not die this day!
Says I: You go, or get below, for I'll be on my way!
Aboard the Nancy!
Surrender, Hell!, I say
Aboard the Nancy
It's back to Mackinac I'll fight, aboard the Nancy-o
Well up comes Colonel Beaubien, then, who shouts as he draws near
Give up your Nancy schooner and I swear you've naught to fear
We've got your Captain Maxwell, sir, spare yourself his tears
Says I: I'll not but send you shot to buzz about your ears
We fired as we hove anchor, boys, and we got under way
But scarce a dozen broadsides, boys, the Nancy did them pay
Before the business sickened them. They bravely ran away
All sail we made, and reached the Lake before the close of day
Aboard the Nancy!
We sent them shot and cheers
Aboard the Nancy!
We watched them running through the trees, aboard the Nancy-o
Oh, military gentlemen, they bluster, roar and pray
Nine sailors on the Nancy, boys, made fifty run away
The powder in their hair that day was powder sent their way
By poor and ragged sailor men, who swore that they would stay
Aboard the Nancy!
Six pence and pound a day
Aboard the Nancy!
No uniform for men to scorn, aboard the Nancy-o
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "The Nancy"?
Stan Rogers performs "The Nancy", and this lyric page sits inside the Stan Rogers catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Nancy"?
Yes. The related section below points to Night Guard and Billy Green with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Stan Rogers?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Stan Rogers's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on The Nancy yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.