Song Lyrics
IN PRAISE OF THE CITY OF MULLINGAR
Ye may strain your muscles to brag of Brussels, Of London, Paris or Timbuktu,
Constantinople, or Sebastopol, Vienna, Naples, or Tonga taboo,
Of Copenhagen, Madrid, Kilbeggan, or the Capital of the Rooshian Czar
But they're all inferior to the superior and gorgeous city of Mullingar
That fair metropolis, so great and populous, adorns the regions of sweet Westmeath,
That fertile county which nature's bounty has richly gifted with bog and heath
Them scenes so charming, where snipes a-swarming Attract the sportsman that comes from far;
And whoever wishes may catch fine fishes in deep Loch Owel near Mullingar.
I could stay for ever by Brusna's river, and watch its waters in their sparkling fall,
And the ganders swimmin' and lightly skimmin' o'er the crystal bosom of the Royal Canal;
Or on Thursdays wander, 'mid pigs so tender, and geese and turkeys on many a car
Exchangin' pleasantry with the fine bold peasantry that throng the market at Mullingar
Ye nine, inspire me, and with rapture fire me to sing the buildings, both old and new,
The majestic court house, and spacious workhouse,
And the church and steeple which adorn the view
Then there's barracks airy for the military, where the brave repose from the toils of war;
Five schools, a nunnery, and a thrivin' tannery, in the gorgeous city of Mullingar
The railway station with admiration I next must mention in terms of praise,
Where trains a-rollin' and engines howlin' strike each beholder with wild amaze
And then there's Main Street that broad and clean street, with its rows of gas-lamps that shine afar;
I could spake a lecture on the architecture of the gorgeous city of Mullingar
The men of genius, contemporaneous, approach spontaneous this favoured spot,
Where good society and great variety of entertainment is still their lot
The neighbouring quality for hospitality and conviviality unequalled are;
And from December until November there's still diversion in Mullingar
Now, in conclusion, I make allusion to the beauteous females that here abound;
Celestial creatures with lovely features, and taper ankles that skim the ground
But this suspends me, the theme transcends me, my muse's powers are too weak by far;
It would take Catullus likewise Tibullus, to sing the beauties of Mullingar
THE INNER CITY SONG
(Don Baker)
The old man sits wonders just what can he do
He's live here in the neighborhood since 1922
He's forced to leave his home to make way for their plans
And he knows that they don't care or give a damn
So he takes a stroll down Monto what's left of it today
Remembering his childhood and the games he used to play
Now all he's got are memories and they are but a few
And it seems the money grabbers want them too
Chorus:
And living in a one room slum ain't easy
Raising seven children on the dole
No place for kids to play while you build your motor way
Is Loughlin house the playground of today?
Dublin's inner city is a sorry sight to see
A mass of filthy buildings strife and poverty
The people find it hard to make ends meet most of the time
And you're surprised that they should turn to crime
Chorus:
And living in a one room slum ain't easy
Raising seven children on the dole
No place for kids to play while you build your motor way
Is Loughlin house the playground of today?
The greedy speculators are trying to move in
With their lawyers and their legal talk the chances are they'll win
They make their public speeches and give the people some old line
But you know we won't be fooled so easily this time
Chorus:
And living in a one room slum ain't easy
Raising seven children on the dole
No place for kids to play while you build your motor way
Is Loughlin house the playground of today?
And living in a one room slum ain't easy
Raising seven children on the dole
No place for kids to play while you build your motor way
Is Loughlin house the playground of today?
IRELAND, UNITED, GAELIC AND FREE
In Armagh and in Derry in Antrim and in Down
The North Gael is rising to bring down the Crown
Once more the old war cry and the blood running high
We'll fight for true Ireland for today we will die
Chorus:
Ireland united Gaelic and free
Land of my birth in freedom you'll be
From New York and Chicago in Sydney and in Perth
The Gaelic storm is growing it's sweeping across the earth
To serve the Queen or Kremlin in freedom we shall dwell
And to try to step in England's shoes we'll see them all in hell
Chorus:
Ireland united Gaelic and free
Land of my birth we're born to be free
The banshee's mournful whisper of an old lost battle scene
The true Gael's blood is falling to preserve our ancient green
The day of the slaver will no longer be
And when Gaels stand united they'll always be free
Chorus:
Ireland united Gaelic and free
Land of my birth in freedom you'll be
Is there any mind so yellow is there any heart so black
Can stand and watch their country torn apart on England's rack
Remember now in Belfast good men will fight and die
To keep the shining vision alive and burning high
Chorus:
Ireland united Gaelic and free
Shining in splendour our true destiny
Ireland united Gaelic and free
Shining in splendour our true destiny
THE IRISH BALLADEERS
(Nick Guida)
I'm an Irish Balladeer that came from Clare to Here
What was that reason I Left Mullingar
My lovely Home by Bearna, to stage at Lisdoonvarna
And all four of Tommy's Fields of emerald green
I've tramped the country over a Whistling Gypsy Rover
From Carrickfergus, to Carrick on the Suir
A Jolly Beggarman, I sang A Song for Ireland
And spent a weekend with the Whack on the Isle of Man
Chorus:
Put some Whiskey in the Jar, we'll sing Johnson's Motor Car
Christy Moore or Liam Clancy, who strikes your fancy
With Shane and Ronnie Drew we'll sing the Mountain Dew
We're the Irish Balladeers
'Twas in the Rare Ould Times, I had a Bunch of Thyme
Spent an evening in The Town I Loved So Well
From there to Banbridge town, The Star of the County Down
Met a lassie in the Town of Ballybay
Climbed the Hills of Connemara, took a swim in Galway Bay
Went picnicking through the Fields of Athenry
I Rambled in Spring, met the Captains and Kings
And if I'm really drunk, I'll sing you Danny Boy
Chorus
'Twas in the Holy Ground, where the girls are fine and very sound
Met a lass named Nancy all the way from Spain
With the Drunken Maidens Three, young Rosie from Tralee
And The Boys of Fairhill swimming down the Lee
I took The Rocky Road to Dublin and the "bloody" Flight of Earls
With Dicey Reilly, I spent a night in shame
But, we'll fight the Black and Tans, and make A Nation Once Again
Cause, we're the Irish Balladeers
Chorus
Chorus
THE IRISH ROVER
On the Fourth of July, eighteen hundred and six,
We set sail from the cold quay of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks,
For the grand city hall in New York
Our ship was a craft, rigged fore and aft,
And oh, how the wild winds drove her
She had twenty-three masts, and stood several blasts
And they called her, the Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee, from the Banks of the Lee,
There was Hogan from County Tyrone,
Johnny McGurk, who was scared still of work,
And a man from West Meath, named Malone
Slugger O'Toole, was drunk as a rule,
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
And your man Mick McCann from the Banks Bann
Was the skipper of the Irish Rover
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
Two million barrels of bones
Three million bails of old nanny goat tails
Four million barrels of stone
Five million hogs, six million dogs
Seven million barrels of porter
Eight million sides of old blind horses' hides
In the hold of the Irish Rover
We had sailed several years, when the measles broke out
Our ship lost its way in the fog
Then the whale of the crew was reduced down to two
Meself and the Captain's old dog
Then the ship stuck a rock, oh lord what a shock
The boat it turned right over, it turned nine times around,
And the poor old dog was drowned,
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
IRISH SOLDIER LADDIE
(Paddy McGuigan)
'Twas a morning in July, I was walking to Tipperary
When I heard the battle cry from the mountains overhead
I looked into the sky, saw an Irish soldier laddie
He looked at me right fearlessly and said
Chorus:
Will you stand in the band, like a true Irishman
And go and fight the forces of the crown (Upside down)
Will you march with O'Neill to an Irish battle field
Tonight we'll go and free old Wexford Town
Said I to the soldier boy, "Will you take me to your, Captain,
It will be my pride and joy for to march with you today."
"My young brother fell at Cork, and my son at Enniscorthy."
And to the noble Captain I did say
Chorus:
I will stand in the band, like a true Irishman
And go and fight the forces of the crown (Upside down)
I will march with O'Neill to an Irish battle field
Tonight we'll go and free old Wexford Town
We marched back home again in the shadow of the evening
With our banner flying low to the memory of the dead
We came back home again, but with out our soldier laddie
But, I still can hear the brave words he said
Chorus:
Will you stand in the band, like a true Irishman
And go and fight the forces of the crown (Upside down)
Will you march with O'Neill to an Irish battle field
Tonight we'll and free old Wexford Town
ISLE OF INISHFREE
(D. Farrelly)
I've heard some folks who say that I'm a dreamer
And I've no doubt there's truth in what they say
But sure a body's bound to be a dreamer
When all the things he loves are far away
And precious things are dreams unto an exile
They take him o'er a land across the sea
Especially when it happens you're and exile
From that dear lovely Isle of Innishfree.
Chorus:
And when the moonlight peeps across the rooftops
Of this great city, wondrous though it be
I scarcely feel its wonder or its laughter
I'm once again back home in Innishfree
I wonder o'er green hills, through dreamy valleys
And find a peace no other land could know
I hear the birds make music fit for angels
And watch the rivers laughing as they flow.
But dreams don't last though dreams are not forgotten
And soon I'm back to stern reality
But though they pave the footpaths here with gold dust
I still would choose my Isle of Innishfree.
ISN'T IT GRAND BOYS
Look at the coffin, with silver handles.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
Look at the widow, bloody great woman.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
Look at the mourners, bloody great hypocrites.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
Look at the preacher, bloody sanctimonious.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
Look at the tombstone, bloody great boulder.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
Look at the flowers, all bloody withered.
Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead
Let's not have a sniffle, let's have a bloody good cry
And always remember, the longer you live
The sooner you'll bloody well die.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU
(Allan Taylor)
Chorus:
It's good to see you so good to see you
Oh how I've missed you since I've been gone
I've crossed the ocean traveled through many lands
It's good to see you to be in your arms
There's something in me that needs to wander
There's many a land I have to see
And when I'm far away in a land of strangers'
I know my good friends will think of me
Chorus
And when a man is down on his fortunes
He stands on his own sometimes alone
He looks around him looking for an open hand
Sometimes there's one sometimes there's some
Chorus
And it's a wonder when it comes to pleasure
No matter how far away no matter how long
There's a constant thread that's never been broken
It turns me to my friends at home
Chorus
Chorus