[Verse 1]
          
Hey Nelly Nell

              
y, come to the

    
 window
           
Hey Nelly Nell

          
y, look at wha

    
t I see
            
He's riding in

              
to town on a s


way back mule
            
Got a tall bla

              
ck hat and he 

 
looks like a f

ool
            
He sure is tal

              
kin' like he's

          
 been to schoo

l,
           
And it's 1853




[Verse 2]
          
Hey Nelly Nell

              
y, listen what

    
 he's sayin'
           
Hey Nelly Nell

          
y, he says it'

           
s gettin' late
            
Says all them 

              
black folks sh


ould all be fr

ee
            
To walk around

             
 the same as y


ou and me
            
He's talkin' '

              
bout a thing h

             
e calls democr


acy,
           
And it's 1858




[Verse 3]
          
Hey Nelly Nell

              
y, hear the ba

    
nd a playing
           
Hey Nelly Nell

          
y, hand me dow

    
n my gun
            
Cause the men 

              
are cheerin an

       
d the boys are

 too
            
They're all pu

              
ttin' on their

  
 coats of blue
            
I can't sit ar

              
ound here and 

         
talk to you,
            
Cause it's 186

 
1


[Verse 4]
          
Hey Nelly Nell

              
y, Come to the

    
 window
           
Hey Nelly Nell

           
y, I've come b

    
ack alive
            
My coat of blu

       
e is stained w

ith red
            
And the man in

              
 the tall blac

  
k hat is dead
            
We sure will r

              
emember all th

            
e things he sa

id,
           
And it's 1865




[Verse 5]
          
Hey Nelly Nell

              
y, come to the

    
 window
           
Hey Nelly Nell

          
y, look at wha

     
t I see
            
I see white fo

              
lks and colour

            
ed walkin' sid

e by side
            
They're marchi

              
n'  in a colum

             
n that's a cen


tury wide
              
It's still a l

            
ong and a hard

             
 and a bloody 

 
ride,
           
And it's 1963




by Shel Silverstein and Jim Friedman