Nancy Mulligan
Mike Denver Lyrics
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When I met the woman I would call my own
Twenty two grand kids now growing old
In the house that your brother brought ya
On the summer day when I proposed
I made that wedding ring from dentist gold
And I asked her father but her daddy said, "NoYou can't marry my daughter"
She and I went on the run
Don't care about religion
I'm gonna marry the woman I love
Down by the Wexford border
She was Nancy Mulligan
And I was William Sheeran
She took my name and then we were one
Down by the Wexford border
Well, I met her at Guy's in the second world war
And she was working on a soldier's ward
Never had I seen such beauty before
The moment that I saw her
Nancy was my yellow rose
And we got married wearing borrowed clothes
We got eight children now growing old
Five sons and three daughters
She and I went on the run
Don't care about religion
I'm gonna marry the woman I love
Down by the Wexford border
She was Nancy Mulligan
And I was William SheeranShe took my name and then we were one
Down by the Wexford border
From her snow white streak in her jet black hair
Over sixty years I've been loving her
Now we're sat by the fire, in our old armchairs
You know Nancy I adore ya
From a farm boy born near Belfast town
I never worried about the king and crown
Cause I found my heart upon the southern ground
There's no difference, I assure ya
She and I went on the run
Don't care about religion
I'm gonna marry the woman I love
Down by the Wexford border
She was Nancy Mulligan
And I was William Sheeran
She took my name and then we were one
Down by the Wexford border
The song "Nancy Mulligan" by Mike Denver tells the story of a couple, Nancy Mulligan and William Sheeran, who fell in love despite their different religious backgrounds and societal norms. The lyrics describe how they met during World War II, when Nancy was working in a soldier's ward and William was a farm boy born near Belfast town. They faced opposition from Nancy's father, who refused to allow William to marry his daughter, but they went on the run and ended up getting married at the Wexford border. The couple eventually had eight children and sixty years of marriage.
The song is a tribute to Ed Sheeran's grandparents, William and Nancy Sheeran, who faced similar challenges in their own relationship. Despite their differences, they fell in love and remained committed to each other for six decades. The lyrics celebrate their love and their refusal to be constrained by societal norms and religious differences.
Line by Line Meaning
I was twenty four years old
At the age of twenty four, I found the woman who was to become my lifelong partner.
When I met the woman I would call my own
I found the woman who would become my wife.
Twenty two grand kids now growing old
We have twenty two grandchildren who are now adults.
In the house that your brother brought ya
We live in a home that was bought for us by Nancy's brother.
On the summer day when I proposed
When I asked Nancy to marry me, it was on a beautiful summer day.
I made that wedding ring from dentist gold
I fashioned her wedding ring from gold that I obtained from a dentist.
And I asked her father but her daddy said, "No
When I asked her father for permission to marry her, he refused.
You can't marry my daughter"
He said that I couldn't marry his daughter.
She and I went on the run
We ran away together to start our new life.
Don't care about religion
We didn't care about our different religions.
I'm gonna marry the woman I love
I was determined to marry the woman I loved.
Down by the Wexford border
We got married by the border of Wexford.
She was Nancy Mulligan
My wife's name was Nancy Mulligan.
And I was William Sheeran
My name is William Sheeran.
She took my name and then we were one
She took my last name, and we became one family.
Well, I met her at Guy's in the second world war
I met Nancy while we were working at Guy's Hospital during WWII.
And she was working on a soldier's ward
Nancy was working in a ward for wounded soldiers.
Never had I seen such beauty before
I had never seen someone as beautiful as Nancy before.
The moment that I saw her
I fell in love with her at first sight.
Nancy was my yellow rose
I called Nancy my yellow rose.
And we got married wearing borrowed clothes
We got married in clothes that we borrowed from others.
We got eight children now growing old
We have eight children who are now adults.
Five sons and three daughters
We have five sons and three daughters.
From her snow white streak in her jet black hair
Nancy has a white streak in her jet black hair.
Over sixty years I've been loving her
We have been in love for over sixty years.
Now we're sat by the fire, in our old armchairs
We are now sitting by the fire in our old armchairs.
You know Nancy I adore ya
I love Nancy very much.
From a farm boy born near Belfast town
I was born on a farm near Belfast.
I never worried about the king and crown
I wasn't concerned with monarchy or royal titles.
Cause I found my heart upon the southern ground
I found my true love in the south.
There's no difference, I assure ya
There is no difference between us, I can promise you that.
Contributed by Mia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael O'Donoghue
on Love Me Tonight
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