Annotation:Sweet Nelly My Heart's Delight
X:1 T:Sweet Nelly My Heart's Delight L:1/8 M:6/8 R:Air S:Chappell – Popular Music of the Olden Time (1859) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G D|G>AG B2c|(d3 d2)e|d>cB ABG|(E3 E2)D| G>FE A2A|B>AG c2B|ABG G2F|(G3G2)|| D|G>AG G2G|A>BA A2A|B^cd d2c|(d3d2)d|dcB ABc| BdG E2D|G>FE A2A|B>AG C2B|ABG G2F|(G3G2)||
SWEET NELLY MY HEART'S DELIGHT. AKA – “Farmer’s Son (The).” English, Air (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The song appears in The Merry Musician; or, A Cure for the Spleen, Watts' Musical Miscellany (1729, pp. 130-132), and on broadside issues.
Sweet Nelly, my heart’s delight,
Be loving and no not slight
The proffer I make, for modesty’s sake;
I honour your beauty bright.
For love I profess, I can do no less,
Thou has my favour won;
And since I see your modesty,
I pray you agree, And fancy me,
Tho’ I’m but a farmer’s son.
“Sweet Nelly” was also the indicated tune for songs in John Watts' ballad opera The Lover’s Opera (London, 1730), and Henry Lintot’s The Footman (London, 1732).
