American Old Time Song Lyrics: 05 Good Bye John

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 5

GOOD-BYE, JOHN.

'Twas on a Friday morning I bid New York City good-bye!
The wind it blowed great guns, my boys, and the waters ran sky-high;
As I waved my bandana to my Nancy on the shore,
She sobbed and sighed, and wept and cried, when I sailed for Singapore.

Chorus.
Good-bye, John, now don't stop long,
But come back soon to your own Chickabiddy;
For my heart beats so, when the winds do blow,
That takes away my sailor.

Sweet Nancy was a lass, my boys, of fifteen stone full weight;
Her face-it was a face, my boys, like a good-sized dinner, plate;
She kept a sweet-stuff shop, my boys, 'twould your eyes do good to see,
Sold lollypops and Tom Thumb drops, but naught so sweet as she.
Good-bye, John, &c

When I sailed for foreign parts, I'd bring back presents to my love,
Such Injun hats and Turkish mats, or a Chinese turtle-dove;
Sweet Nance would write me billet-doos which took away my breath,
And said as how she "loved her John with blind regards till death."
So loving John, &c.

One night I had a dream, my boys, that Nance appeared to me.
She looked like a mermaid, boys, that floats about the sea,
She wagged her tail at me, my boys, and then sh¯ shook her head.
Then seemed to speak in fishy tones, and this is what she said:
Good-bye, John, &c.

Our gallant craft reached home, my boys; next day, to come on board.
My Nance put off in a boat to meet her John whom she adored;
When, messmates-hard the tale to tell-she swerved ! the boat capsized
Down, down to the bottom went sweet Nance, the girl I dearly prized.
Good-bye, John, &c.