Clarence Whitehill - "Nancy Lee" (1916)

Nancy Lee
Words by Fred E Weatherly
Music by Stephen Adams (Michael Maybrick)
Performed by Clarence Whitehill
Recorded May 24, 1916
Victrola 64613

Clarence Whitehill (1871 - 1932) was a leading American bass-baritone. He sang on both sides of the Atlantic and is best remembered for his association with the music dramas of Richard Wagner. Whitehill was notable for the tonal beauty of his large voice, the nobility of his singing style and the dignity of his stage demeanour. His diction, phrasing and enunciation were considered to be exemplary, too, while his interpretations were said to have a poignant intensity which set them apart from those of his contemporaries. Fortunately, Whitehill made a number of gramophone records prior to World War One which display something of his greatness as a Wagnerian singer. Whitehill made his Metropolitan Opera debut on November 25, 1909. He would enjoy a long and praiseworthy career at the Met despite a throat ailment which periodically affected one of his vocal cords. He was to remain on the Met's roster of singers until 1932, the year of his death.

The music to Nancy Lee was written by Michael Maybrick, who published under the name Stephen Adams. He was born in Liverpool in 1844. He completed his music studies there and moved to Leipzig and Milan to study further. He became a well known baritone singer. His first appearance was in the New Philharmonic Concerts in London in 1870. His tunes were popular in both England and America. Nancy Lee was one of Maybrick's first compositions. The words was written by Frederick E. Weatherly (1848-1929). Weatherly was born in Somersetshire in 1848 and graduated from Oxford in 1871. He practiced law thereafter, but also wrote more that fifty children's books and wrote several tunes with Maybrick. Written in 1876, this song sold over 70,000 copies in England alone in the first eighteen months of its life. Its rather idealised view of the sailor's wife must have appealed strongly to the Victorians who saw in the life of their own Queen a similar constancy to her husband. Stephen Adams, the composer, had a lot of success with his sea songs. Among others he wrote 'The Midshipmite', 'The Tar's Farewell' and 'They All Love Jack'. Fred E. Weatherly was probably the most prolific lyricist of all time. When he wrote his autobiography in his seventy-fifth year he noted that he had written literally thousands of songs some 1,500 of which were published. Among his well-known lyrics were those for 'Danny Boy', 'Roses of Picardy' and 'The Old Brigade'.

NANCY LEE

Of all the wives as e'er you know,
Yeo ho! lads, ho! Yeo ho! Yeo ho!
There's none like Nancy Lee, I trow,
Yeo ho! Yeo ho! Yeo ho!
See there she stands and waves her hands
Upon the quay, and every day
When I'm away she'll watch for me,
And whisper low when tempests blow,
For Jack at sea,
Yeo ho! lads, ho! Yeo ho!

Chorus
The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,
Yeo ho! We go across the sea;
The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,
The sailor's wife his star shall be!

The bosun pipes the watch below,
Yeo ho! lads, ho! Yeo ho! Yeo ho!
Then here's a health afore we go,
Yeo ho! Yeo ho! Yeo ho!
A long, long life to my sweet wife,
And mates at sea, and keep our bones
From Davy Jones, where-e'er we be,
And may you meet a mate as sweet
As Nancy Lee.
Yeo ho! lads, ho! Yeo ho!

Chorus
The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,
Yeo ho! We go across the sea;
The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,
The sailor's wife his star shall be!