Nelly Bly

1. Nelly Bly! Nelly Bly! 
Bring the broom along,
We'll sweep the kitchen clean, my dear, 
And have a little song. 
Poke the wood, my lady love 
And make the fire burn, 
And while I take the banjo down,
Just give the mush a turn.

Chorus
Hey, Nelly! Ho Nelly! 
Listen, love, to me, 
I'll sing for you and play for you 
A dulcem melody. 

2. Nelly Bly has a voice 
Like a turtle dove, 
I hear it in the meadow
And I hear it in the grove.
Nelly Bly has a heart 
Warm as a cup of tea, 
And bigger than the sweet potatoes 
Down in Tennessee. 

Chorus

3. Nelly Bly shuts her eye 
When she goes to sleep. 
When she wakens up again 
Her eyeballs start to peep. 
The way she walks, she lifts her foot, 
And then she bumps it down;
And when it lights, there's music there 
In that part of the town. 

Chorus

4. Nelly Bly! Nelly Bly! 
Never, never sigh; 
Never bring the tear drop 
To the corner of your eye. 
For the pie is made of pumpkins 
And the mush is made of corn, 
And there's corn and pumpkins plenty, love, 
A-lyin' in the barn.

Chorus


By Stephen Foster, and not about the journalist of the later 1800's.