Leaving Nancy Song lyrics and guitar chords
Leaving Nancy Folk Song Lyrics, Easy Guitar Chords Recorded by The Fureys, Signe Svendsen & Niels Hausgaard and Irish folk singers Ronnie Drew With The Dubliners, Paddy Reilly. written by Eric Bogle as a farewell to his mother while emigrating from Scotland to Australia. I have included the chords in the key of D and G Major in chordpro . The fureys play the song in the key of F with Finbar singing.
Leaving Nancy Lyrics And Easy Guitar Chords In D Major
In[D] comes the train and the[Em] whole platform [G]shakes,
It[D] stops with a shutter,and a[G] screaming of[D] brakes,
The parting has come,and my[Em] weary soul[G] aches,
Im[A] leaving my[A7] Nancy[D] O'
[2]
But you stand there so calmly determinedly gay,
And you talk of the weather and events of the day,
But your eyes tell me all that your tongue doesn't say,
Goodbye my Nancy O'
[Chorus]
And come a little closer,put your head upon my shoulder,
And let me hold you one more time,before the whistle blows.
[3]
My suitcase is lifted and stowed on the train,
And a thousand regrets whirl around in my brain,
And the ache in my heart is a black sea of pain,
Im leaving my Nancy O'
[4]
And you stand there so calmly so lovely to see,
But the grip of your hand is an unspoken plea,
Your not fooling yourself,and your not fooling me,
Good-by my Nancy O'
[5]
For our time has run out and the whistle has blown,
And here I must leave you standing alone,
We have so little time and now the time's gone
Good-bye my Nancy O'
[6]
And as the train starts gently to roll,
And as I lean out to wave and to call,
I see your first tears,trickle and fall,
Good-bye my Nancy O'
In[D] comes the train and the[Em] whole platform [G]shakes,
It[D] stops with a shutter,and a[G] screaming of[D] brakes,
The parting has come,and my[Em] weary soul[G] aches,
Im[A] leaving my[A7] Nancy[D] O'
[2]
But you stand there so calmly determinedly gay,
And you talk of the weather and events of the day,
But your eyes tell me all that your tongue doesn't say,
Goodbye my Nancy O'
[Chorus]
And come a little closer,put your head upon my shoulder,
And let me hold you one more time,before the whistle blows.
[3]
My suitcase is lifted and stowed on the train,
And a thousand regrets whirl around in my brain,
And the ache in my heart is a black sea of pain,
Im leaving my Nancy O'
[4]
And you stand there so calmly so lovely to see,
But the grip of your hand is an unspoken plea,
Your not fooling yourself,and your not fooling me,
Good-by my Nancy O'
[5]
For our time has run out and the whistle has blown,
And here I must leave you standing alone,
We have so little time and now the time's gone
Good-bye my Nancy O'
[6]
And as the train starts gently to roll,
And as I lean out to wave and to call,
I see your first tears,trickle and fall,
Good-bye my Nancy O'
“Nancy O’” (or “Leaving Nancy”), the Eric Bogle classic often sung by The Fureys and Paddy Reilly.
Below is the complete version with chords for every verse and chorus, cleanly formatted in D Major (the traditional key).
🎵 Leaving Nancy (Nancy O’)(Eric Bogle – Key of D Major)
[Verse 1]In [D]comes the train and the [Em]whole platform [G]shakes,
It [D]stops with a shudder, and a [G]screaming of [D]brakes,
The parting has come, and my [Em]weary soul [G]aches,
I’m [A]leaving my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 2]But you [D]stand there so calmly, de[Em]terminedly [G]gay,
And you [D]talk of the weather and the [G]events of the [D]day,
But your eyes tell me all that your [Em]tongue doesn’t [G]say,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
[Verse 3]My [D]suitcase is lifted and [Em]stowed on the [G]train,
And a [D]thousand regrets whirl a[G]round in my [D]brain,
And the ache in my heart is a [Em]black sea of [G]pain,
I’m [A]leaving my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 4]And you [D]stand there so calmly, so [Em]lovely to [G]see,
But the [D]grip of your hand is an un[G]spoken [D]plea,
You’re not fooling yourself, and you’re [Em]not fooling [G]me,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
[Verse 5]For our [D]time has run out and the [Em]whistle has [G]blown,
And [D]here I must leave you [G]standing a[D]lone,
We have so little time and it’s [Em]all been and [G]gone,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 6]And as the [D]train starts gently to [Em]roll,
And as I [G]lean out to wave and to [D]call,
I see your first tears [Em]trickle and [G]fall,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Final Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Slow 3/4 Folk Ballad Feel)↓ ↓ ↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑
Count: 1-2-3 | 1-2-3, accent the first beat in each bar.
Or for a more emotional lilt:
Bass ↓ | Down-Up | Down-Up (alternate bass on D and A strings).
💡 Performance Notes
Below is the complete version with chords for every verse and chorus, cleanly formatted in D Major (the traditional key).
🎵 Leaving Nancy (Nancy O’)(Eric Bogle – Key of D Major)
[Verse 1]In [D]comes the train and the [Em]whole platform [G]shakes,
It [D]stops with a shudder, and a [G]screaming of [D]brakes,
The parting has come, and my [Em]weary soul [G]aches,
I’m [A]leaving my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 2]But you [D]stand there so calmly, de[Em]terminedly [G]gay,
And you [D]talk of the weather and the [G]events of the [D]day,
But your eyes tell me all that your [Em]tongue doesn’t [G]say,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
[Verse 3]My [D]suitcase is lifted and [Em]stowed on the [G]train,
And a [D]thousand regrets whirl a[G]round in my [D]brain,
And the ache in my heart is a [Em]black sea of [G]pain,
I’m [A]leaving my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 4]And you [D]stand there so calmly, so [Em]lovely to [G]see,
But the [D]grip of your hand is an un[G]spoken [D]plea,
You’re not fooling yourself, and you’re [Em]not fooling [G]me,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
[Verse 5]For our [D]time has run out and the [Em]whistle has [G]blown,
And [D]here I must leave you [G]standing a[D]lone,
We have so little time and it’s [Em]all been and [G]gone,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Verse 6]And as the [D]train starts gently to [Em]roll,
And as I [G]lean out to wave and to [D]call,
I see your first tears [Em]trickle and [G]fall,
Good[A]bye my [A7]Nancy [D]O’.
[Final Chorus]And [G]come a little closer,
Put your [D]head upon my shoulder,
And [Em]let me hold you [A7]one more time,
Be[G]fore the [A7]whistle [D]blows.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Slow 3/4 Folk Ballad Feel)↓ ↓ ↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑
Count: 1-2-3 | 1-2-3, accent the first beat in each bar.
Or for a more emotional lilt:
Bass ↓ | Down-Up | Down-Up (alternate bass on D and A strings).
💡 Performance Notes
- Play it slowly and tenderly (≈70–80 bpm).
- Dynamics: start softly in Verse 1, swell through Verses 3–4, and fade gently on the final chorus.
- Optional ending: finish on a Dmaj7 chord (xx0222) for a wistful final sound.
here’s “Leaving Nancy (Nancy O’)” transposed cleanly to G Major, which fits comfortably for most voices and guitarists.
All verses and choruses have chords placed precisely over the lyrics for smooth playthrough.
🎵 Leaving Nancy (Nancy O’)(Eric Bogle – Key of G Major)
🎸 “Nancy O’” — Fingerpicking + Strumming TAB (Key: G)
[Verse 1]
In [G]comes the train and the [Am]whole platform [C]shakes,
G Am C
e|---------3-----------3-----------|---------0-----------0-------|---------0-----------0-------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----2-------2---2-------2---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------0----------------|----------------2------------|----------------2------------|
A|---2-----------------------------|---0--------------------------|---3--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
It [G]stops with a shudder, and a [C]screaming of [G]brakes,
G C G
e|---------3-----------3-----------|---------0-----------0-------|---------3-----------3-------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------0---0-------0---0-----|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----0-------0---0-------0---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------0----------------|----------------2------------|----------------0------------|
A|---2-----------------------------|---3--------------------------|---2--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
The parting has come, and my [Am]weary soul [C]aches,
Am C
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------0-----------0-------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------2----------------|----------------2------------|
A|---0-----------------------------|---3--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
D D7 G
e|---------2-----------2-----------|---------2-----------2-------|---------3-----------3-------|
B|-------3---3-------3---3---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------0---0-------0---0-----|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----2-------2---2-------2---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|---0-----------------------------|---0--------------------------|----------------0------------|
A|---------------------------------|------------------------------|---2--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[Chorus]
(Strumming pattern: ↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑ , gentle)
And [C]come a little closer, Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
C (strum) G (strum)
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------3----------------------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------0------------------------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----0--------------------------|
D|----------------2----------------|----------------0--------------|
A|---3-----------------------------|---2----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Am (strum) D7 (strum)
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------2----------------------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1------------------------|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----2--------------------------|
D|----------------2----------------|---0----------------------------|
A|---0-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
C D7 G
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1---1-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|----------------2----------------|---0----------------0----------|
A|---3-----------------------------|--------------------2----------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
[Verse 1]In [G]comes the train and the [Am]whole platform [C]shakes,
It [G]stops with a shudder, and a [C]screaming of [G]brakes,
The parting has come, and my [Am]weary soul [C]aches,
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 2]But you [G]stand there so calmly, de[Am]terminedly [C]gay,
And you [G]talk of the weather and the [C]events of the [G]day,
But your eyes tell me all that your [Am]tongue doesn’t [C]say,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
[Verse 3]My [G]suitcase is lifted and [Am]stowed on the [C]train,
And a [G]thousand regrets whirl a[C]round in my [G]brain,
And the ache in my heart is a [Am]black sea of [C]pain,
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 4]And you [G]stand there so calmly, so [Am]lovely to [C]see,
But the [G]grip of your hand is an un[C]spoken [G]plea,
You’re not fooling yourself, and you’re [Am]not fooling [C]me,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
[Verse 5]For our [G]time has run out and the [Am]whistle has [C]blown,
And [G]here I must leave you [C]standing a[G]lone,
We have so little time and it’s [Am]all been and [C]gone,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 6]And as the [G]train starts gently to [Am]roll,
And as I [C]lean out to wave and to [G]call,
I see your first tears [Am]trickle and [C]fall,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Final Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Gentle Folk 3/4 or 6/8 Feel)↓ ↓ ↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑
Count: 1-2-3 | 1-2-3, accenting beat 1.
Or fingerpick softly:
Bass – Treble – Treble | Bass – Treble – Treble
💡 Tips for Performance
All verses and choruses have chords placed precisely over the lyrics for smooth playthrough.
🎵 Leaving Nancy (Nancy O’)(Eric Bogle – Key of G Major)
🎸 “Nancy O’” — Fingerpicking + Strumming TAB (Key: G)
[Verse 1]
In [G]comes the train and the [Am]whole platform [C]shakes,
G Am C
e|---------3-----------3-----------|---------0-----------0-------|---------0-----------0-------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----2-------2---2-------2---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------0----------------|----------------2------------|----------------2------------|
A|---2-----------------------------|---0--------------------------|---3--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
It [G]stops with a shudder, and a [C]screaming of [G]brakes,
G C G
e|---------3-----------3-----------|---------0-----------0-------|---------3-----------3-------|
B|-------0---0-------0---0---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------0---0-------0---0-----|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----0-------0---0-------0---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------0----------------|----------------2------------|----------------0------------|
A|---2-----------------------------|---3--------------------------|---2--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
The parting has come, and my [Am]weary soul [C]aches,
Am C
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------0-----------0-------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|----------------2----------------|----------------2------------|
A|---0-----------------------------|---3--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
D D7 G
e|---------2-----------2-----------|---------2-----------2-------|---------3-----------3-------|
B|-------3---3-------3---3---------|-------1---1-------1---1-----|-------0---0-------0---0-----|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----2-------2---2-------2---|-----0-------0---0-------0---|
D|---0-----------------------------|---0--------------------------|----------------0------------|
A|---------------------------------|------------------------------|---2--------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
[Chorus]
(Strumming pattern: ↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑ , gentle)
And [C]come a little closer, Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
C (strum) G (strum)
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------3----------------------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------0------------------------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----0--------------------------|
D|----------------2----------------|----------------0--------------|
A|---3-----------------------------|---2----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Am (strum) D7 (strum)
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------2----------------------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1------------------------|
G|-----2-------2---2-------2-------|-----2--------------------------|
D|----------------2----------------|---0----------------------------|
A|---0-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
C D7 G
e|---------0-----------0-----------|---------2-----------3---------|
B|-------1---1-------1---1---------|-------1---1-------0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0---0-------0-------|-----2-------2---0-------0-----|
D|----------------2----------------|---0----------------0----------|
A|---3-----------------------------|--------------------2----------|
E|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
[Verse 1]In [G]comes the train and the [Am]whole platform [C]shakes,
It [G]stops with a shudder, and a [C]screaming of [G]brakes,
The parting has come, and my [Am]weary soul [C]aches,
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 2]But you [G]stand there so calmly, de[Am]terminedly [C]gay,
And you [G]talk of the weather and the [C]events of the [G]day,
But your eyes tell me all that your [Am]tongue doesn’t [C]say,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
[Verse 3]My [G]suitcase is lifted and [Am]stowed on the [C]train,
And a [G]thousand regrets whirl a[C]round in my [G]brain,
And the ache in my heart is a [Am]black sea of [C]pain,
I’m [D]leaving my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 4]And you [G]stand there so calmly, so [Am]lovely to [C]see,
But the [G]grip of your hand is an un[C]spoken [G]plea,
You’re not fooling yourself, and you’re [Am]not fooling [C]me,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
[Verse 5]For our [G]time has run out and the [Am]whistle has [C]blown,
And [G]here I must leave you [C]standing a[G]lone,
We have so little time and it’s [Am]all been and [C]gone,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Verse 6]And as the [G]train starts gently to [Am]roll,
And as I [C]lean out to wave and to [G]call,
I see your first tears [Am]trickle and [C]fall,
Good[D]bye my [D7]Nancy [G]O’.
[Final Chorus]And [C]come a little closer,
Put your [G]head upon my shoulder,
And [Am]let me hold you [D7]one more time,
Be[C]fore the [D7]whistle [G]blows.
🎸 Strumming Pattern (Gentle Folk 3/4 or 6/8 Feel)↓ ↓ ↑ | ↓ ↓ ↑
Count: 1-2-3 | 1-2-3, accenting beat 1.
Or fingerpick softly:
Bass – Treble – Treble | Bass – Treble – Treble
💡 Tips for Performance
- Keep it slow and emotional (~70 BPM).
- Light fingerpicking or arpeggiated strumming works beautifully.
- End on a soft Gmaj7 (320002) for a tender final note.
The Furey Brothers And Davie Arthur Band sang Leaving Nancy
The Leaving Of Nancy chords in the key of G
In[G] comes the train and the[Am] whole platform [C]shakes,
It[G] stops with a shutter,and a[C] screaming of[G] brakes,
The parting has come,and my[Am] weary soul[C] aches,
Im[D] leaving my[D7] Nancy[G] O'
In[G] comes the train and the[Am] whole platform [C]shakes,
It[G] stops with a shutter,and a[C] screaming of[G] brakes,
The parting has come,and my[Am] weary soul[C] aches,
Im[D] leaving my[D7] Nancy[G] O'
My Lovely Nancy Lyrics
My lovely Nancy, with eyes so bright
A smile that shines like morning light
Her laughter, like a joyful tune
Fills my heart, every afternoon
With hair like silk, and skin so fair
She takes my breath away, without a care
Her gentle touch, like a feather's grace
Leaves me in a state of pure embrace
She brightens up any room she's in
Her heart so pure, without a sin
Her words, like honey, sweet and kind
Oh, how she soothes my troubled mind
My lovely Nancy, my shining star
Without her, life would be so far
She's the light that guides my way
Through every dark and stormy day
Her love, like an endless sea
Fills me up, and sets me free
I'll hold her close, with all my might
For she's my everything, my guiding light
My lovely Nancy, my heart's desire
With her, I'll face every trial and fire
For she's the one, my heart has chosen
And in her arms, I'll never be broken.
My lovely Nancy, with eyes so bright
A smile that shines like morning light
Her laughter, like a joyful tune
Fills my heart, every afternoon
With hair like silk, and skin so fair
She takes my breath away, without a care
Her gentle touch, like a feather's grace
Leaves me in a state of pure embrace
She brightens up any room she's in
Her heart so pure, without a sin
Her words, like honey, sweet and kind
Oh, how she soothes my troubled mind
My lovely Nancy, my shining star
Without her, life would be so far
She's the light that guides my way
Through every dark and stormy day
Her love, like an endless sea
Fills me up, and sets me free
I'll hold her close, with all my might
For she's my everything, my guiding light
My lovely Nancy, my heart's desire
With her, I'll face every trial and fire
For she's the one, my heart has chosen
And in her arms, I'll never be broken.
Below is the list of sheet music and tin whistle songs that are in my ebooks. This is the largest collection of tin whistle songs ever put together.[over 900 songs ] Including folk, pop and trad tunes plus German And French songs along with Christmas Carols.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Leaving Nancy Sheet Music / Tin Whistle Notes Included.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Leaving Nancy Sheet Music / Tin Whistle Notes Included.
