Nelly Was A Lady

Stephen Foster
This song, published in 1850, is still popular among the barber-shop quartet crowd.

 7   7  6 -6   7   7  -8   8   -8
Don on de Mis-sis-sip-pi float-ing,

  8   -8  7  -6  -7   7 -8  7
Long time I trab-ble on de way.

 7    7    6 -6   7    7 -8  8  -8
All night de cot-ton-wood a-tot-ing,

  8  -8   7  -6  -7   7  -8  7
Sing for my true lub all de day.

chorus

-6  -6  7  6 -6 7   
Nel-ly was a la-dy,

 -8   -8    7   -8
Last night she died,

 8    8  -8   7  -6  7   7
Toll de bell for lub-ly Nell,

-8   8   7  -8  -8   7
My dark Vir-gin-ny bride.

verse 2
Now I'm unhappy and I'm weeping
Can't tote de cottonwood no more;
Last night, while Nelly was asleeping
Death came aknocking at de door.

verse 3
When I saw my Nelly in de morning,
Smile till she opened up her eyes,
Seemed like de light ob day adawning,
Jist 'for de sun begin to rise.

verse 4
Close by de margin ob de water,
Whar de lone weeping willow grows,
Dar lib'd Virginny's lubly daughter;
Dar she in death may find repose.

Down in de meadow 'mong de clober,
Walk wid my Nelly by my side;
Now all dem happy days am ober,
Farewell my dark Virginny bride.

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