Song Lyrics
TAE THE BEGGIN'
Of a' the trades that I do ken, the beggin is the best
For when a beggar's weary he can aye sit doon and rest
Tae the beggin' I will go will go, tae the beggin' I will go.
It's I'll gyang tae the cobbler, An' gar him sort my shoon;
An inch thick tae the boddam, An' clooted weel abune.
An' I will tae the greasy cook, Frae him I'll buy a hat,
Weel press'd and weather-beaten, An' glitt'rin wi' fat.
An' I will tae the tailor, Wi' a wab o' hodden gray,
An' gar him mak' a cloak for me, Will hap me nicht and day.
An' yet ere I begin my trade, I'll let me beard grow strang;
Nor pare my nails this year or day, For the beggars wear them lang.
I'll pit nae watter on my hands, As little on my face;
For still the lowner like I am, The mair my trade I'll grace.
When I come tae a fairm-toon, I'll say wi' hat in hand;
"Will the beggar-man get quarters here? Alas, I canna stand."
An' when they're a' come in aboot, It's then I'll start tae sing,
An' dae my best tae gar them lauch, A'roon aboot the ring.
If there's a wedding in the toon; I'll airt me tae be there;
An' pour my kindest benisons, Upon the happy pair.
An' some will give me beef an' breid, An' some will gie me cheese;
An' oot an' in amang the folk, I'll gaither the bawbees.
If beggin' be as good as trade, An' as I hope it may,
It's time that I was oot o' here, An' haudin doon the brae.
TAKE HER IN YOUR ARMS
(Andy M. Stewart)
Have you seen him on the corner and his lip would reach the pavement.
He's been hiding from his razor, is he not an awful sight?
In love he was the purist, now he's frightening our tourists.
If he'd gone and asked his father Oh, I'm sure he'd set him right, sayin'
Chorus:
"Take her in your arms and tell her that you love her,
Take her in your arms and hold that woman tight.
Won't you take her in your arms and tell her that you love her.
If you're going to love a woman then be sure you do it right."
Now he met her at a disco in a dive in San Francisco
And it all might have been different had he seen her in daylight.
She was painted, she was scented, but she drove your man demented
If he'd gone and asked his father Oh, I'm sure he'd set him right, sayin'
Here's a pub with fun and laughter the landlord's buying bevvy.
There's a session in the corner and the crack is grand tonight,
But your man who's lost his woman, he's still at home lamenting.
If he'd gone and asked his father Oh, I'm sure he'd set him right, sayin'
Now, depression's not a million laughs, but suicide's too dangerous.
Don't go leppin' out of buildings in the middle of the night.
It's not the fall --- but landin' that'll alter social standin'
So go first and ask your father Oh, I'm sure he'll set you right, sayin'
Here's a health to all true lovers, their sisters and their brothers,
And their uncles and their grannies, for this thing is black and white.
If you're keen to start romancin' with its leppin' and its dancin'
Then go first and ask your father and I'm sure he'll set you right, sayin'
TAKE IT DOWN FROM THE MAST
You have murdered our brave Liam and Rory
You butchered young Richard and Joe
Your hands with their blood is still gory
Full filling the work of the foe
Chorus:
Take it down from the mast Irish traitors
It's the flag we Republicans claim
It can never belong to Free-Staters
For you've brought on it nothing but shame
Then leave it to those who are willing
To uphold it in war and in peace
To the men who intend to do killing
Until England's tyranny cease
Chorus
We will stand by you Daly and Larkin
By the Provisionals and Sullivan the brave
And we'll break down the English connections
And we'll win back the nation you sold
Chorus
You sold out the six counties for your freedom
When we have given you McCraken and Wolfe Tone
And brave Ulstermen have fought for you in Dublin
Now you watch as we fight on alone
Chorus
And up in Ulster we're fighting on for freedom
For our people they yearn to be free
You executed those men who fought for us
With a handgun from over the sea
Chorus
Chorus
TAKE ME BACK TO CASTLEBAR
I waiting for John Murphy's van to take me to the site
I've been working seven days a week, from morning to dark night
And as I step inside the van and gently close the door
The first thing that they ask me's; what I did the night before?
Chorus:
Take me back To Castlebar, in the county of Mayo
It's the only place in Ireland; I'm longing for to go
Where they greet you with a friendly smile and they bid you time of day,
When I set me foot in old Mayo I never more will stray
Dirty Jack the ganger man, he talks about the times
Himself and old John Murphy worked deep down in the mines
He says he meets him often at the Dorchester Hotel
If you want to make promotion boy, get down and dig like hell
TAKE ME HOME
(Phil Coulter)
I sit here drinking as the sun is sinking
Low o'er the mountains and the dry dusty ground
As the night is falling, I start recalling
The nights in my own home town
I see their faces in familiar places
I hear the music that we played way back then
My heart rejoices, as I hear their voices
Calling me home again
Chorus:
Home, of take me home
Home to the people I left behind
Home to the love I know I'll find
Oh, take me home
As the sky is burning, my mind is turning
To the cold winter evening by my own fire side
So far away now, but any day now
I'll sail on the morning tide
Chorus:
Home, of take me home
Home to the people I left behind
Home to the love I know I'll find
Oh, take me home
Take me home, far across the sea
Home is where I want to be
Chorus:
Home, of take me home
Home to the people I left behind
Home to the love I know I'll find
Oh, take me home
TAKE ME HOME TO MAYO
Lyrics and Music: Seamus Robinson (aka S. Mac Roibin)
Chorus:
Take me home to Mayo across the Irish sea
Home to dear old Mayo where once I roamed so free
Take me home to Mayo there let my body lie
Home at last in Mayo beneath an Irish sky
My name is Michael Gaughan, from Ballina I came
I saw my people suffering and swore to break their chains
I raised the flag in England prepared to fight or die
Far away from Mayo beneath an Irish sky
Chorus
My body cold and hungry in Parkhurst Jail I lie
For loving of my country, on hunger strike I die
I have but one last longing I pray you'll not deny
Bury me in Mayo beneath an Irish sky
Chorus
TAKE ME UP TO MONTO
If you got a wingo, take her up to Ringo
Where the waxies sing-o, all the day
If you've had your fill of porter and can't go any further
Give your man the order, "Back to the Quay."
So take her up to Monto, Monto, Monto, Take her up to Monto, lang-a-roo
The dirty Duke of Gloucester, the dirty old impostor
He took his mot and lost her up the furry Glen
He first put on his bowler, then he buttoned up his trousers
He whistled for a growler and said, "My man."
Take me up to Monto, Monto, Monto, Take her up to Monto, lang-a-roo
You've seen the Dublin Fusiliers, the dirty old bamboozlers
They went and got the childer, one, two, three
Marchin' from the Linen Hall, there's one for every cannonball
"Vicky's" goin' to send youse all o'er the sea
But first, go up to Monto, Monto, Monto, first go up to Monto, lang-a-roo
The fairy told him, "Skin the goat"; O'Donnell put him on the boat
He wished he'd never been afloat, the dirty skite
It wasn't very sensible to tell on the invincibles
They stood up for their principles, day and night
And take her up to Monto, Monto, Monto, take her up to Monto, lang-a-roo
When the Czar of Rooshia and King Prooshia
Landed in the Phoenix Park, in a big balloon
They asked the Polis band to play the "Wearin' of Green"
But the buggers in the depot didn't know the tune
And they all went up to Monto, Monto, Monto, they all went up to Monto, lang-a-roo
The Queen she came to call on us, she wanted to see all of us
I'm glad she didn't fall on us, she's eighteen stone
"Mr. Me-lord Mayor," sez she, "Is this all you've got to show to me?
Why no ma'am, there's some more to see, pog mo thoin!"
But first go up to Monto, Monto, Monto, first go up to Monto, lang-a-roo
Well, if you got a wingo, take her up to Ringo
Where the waxies sing-o, all the day
If you've had your fill of porter and can't go any further
Give your man the order, "Back to the Quay."
So take her up to Monto, Monto, Monto, take her up to Monto, lang-a-roo to you!
THERE IS A HAPPY LAND
There is a happy land down in Duke Street Jail,
Where a' the prisoners stand tied tae a nail.
Ham an' eggs they never see, dirty water for their tea;
There they live in misery—God save the Queen!
O ye canna shove yer Granny aff a bus,
O ye canna shove yer Granny aff a bus,
O ye canna shove yer Granny
’Cos she's yer Mammy's Mammy
O ye canna shove yer Granny aff a bus.
Ye can shove yer ither Granny aff a bus.
Ye can shove yer ither Granny aff a bus.
Ye can shove yer ither Granny
’Cos she's yer Faither's Mammy
Ye can shove yer ither Granny aff a bus.
Singing tie-yie yippie-yippie yie, tie-yie yippie-yippie yie
Tie-yie yippie-yippie yie, Tie-yie yippie
Your Granny is a hippie, Tie-yie yippie-yippie yie
I sent her for cheese, oh then, I sent her for cheses, oh then, oh then
I sent her for cheese and she fell and skinned her knees
Oh, the world must be coming to an end, ach aye!
I sent her for eggs, oh then, oh then, I sent her for eggs, oh then, oh then
I sent her for eggs and she fell and broke her legs
Oh, the world must be coming to an end, ach aye!
I sent her for beer, oh then, oh then, I sent her for beer, oh then, oh then
I sent her for beer, she was put up for a year
Oh, the world must be coming to an end, ach aye!
I sent her tae the pawn, oh then, oh then, I sent her tae the pawn, oh then, oh then
I sent her tae the pawn, she returned with nothing on
Oh, the world must be coming to an end, ach aye!
I sent her for bried, oh then, oh then, I sent her for bried, oh then, oh then
I sent her for bried and she fell doon died
Oh, the world must be coming to an end, ach aye!
THERE WERE ROSES
(Tommy Sands)
My song for you this evening is not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this trouble Northern land
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
To tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine
Allen Bell from Bayna, he lived just across the field
A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels
O'Malley came from South Armagh to court young Alice fair
And they'd often meet on the Ryan Road and laughter filled the air
Chorus:
There wee roses, roses, there were roses
And the tears of the people ran together
Now Allen hew Protestant and Sean was Catholic born
But it never made a difference for the friendship it was strong
And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sounds of drums
We said it won't divide us; we will always do the one
From the ground our fathers plowed in, the soil it is the same
And the places where we say our prayers, they just got different names
We talked about the friends who died and we hoped there'd be no more
It's little then we realized the tragedy in store
It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came round
Another killing has been done just outside Newry town
We knew that Allen danced up there; we knew he liked the band
But when we heard that he was dead we just could not understand
We gathered at the grave side on that cold and rainy day
The minister he closed his eyes and for no revenge he prayed
And all the ones who knew him from along the Ryan Road
We bowed our heads and we said a prayer for the resting of his soul
Now fear it filled the country side, there was fear in every home
When the car of death came prowling round the lonely Ryan Road
A Catholic would be killed that night to even up the score
Oh Christ, it's young O'Malley that they've taken from the door
"Allen was my friend," he cried, he begged them in his fear
But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear
An eye for an eye that was that filled their minds
And another eye for another eye, till everyone is blind
So my song for you this evening is not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows of this trouble Northern land
But lately I've been thinking and it just won't leave my mind
To tell you of two friends one time who were both good friends of mine
I don't know the moral is or where this song should end
But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends
And those who give the orders, they are not the ones to die
It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I
THEY NEVER CAME HOME
(Christy Moore)
St. Valentine's Day comes around once a year,
All our thoughts turn to love as the day it draws near,
When sweethearts and darlings, husbands and wives,
Pledge love and devotion for the rest of their lives.
As day turns to evening soon nighttime does fall,
Young people preparing for the Valentine's Ball,
As the night rings with laughter some people still mourn
The 48 children who never came home.
Chorus:
Have we forgotten the suffering and pain
The survivors and victims of the fire in Artane,
The mothers and fathers forever to mourn
The 48 children who never came home.
Down to the Stardust they all made their way
The bouncers stood back as they lined up to pay
The records are spinning there's dancing as well
Just how the fire started sure no one can tell.
In a matter of seconds confusion did reign
The room was in darkness fire exits were chained
The firefighters wept for they could not hide,
Their anger and sorrow for those left inside.
Chorus
All around the city the bad news it spread
There's a fire in the Stardust there's 48 dead
Hundreds of children are injured and maimed
And all just because the fire exits were chained.
Our leaders were shocked, grim statements were made
They shed tears in the graveyard as the bodies were laid
The victims have waited in vain for 4 years
It seems like our leaders shed crocodile tears.
Chorus
Half a million was spent on solicitor's fees,
A fortune to the owner and his family
It's hard to believe not one penny came
To the working class people who suffered the pain.
Days turn to weeks and weeks turn to years
Our laws favour the rich or so it appears
A woman still waits for her lads to come home
Injustice breeds anger and that's what's been done.
Chorus