|
|
Irish Rover
A perennial favorite, I used the tune for the filk for the second annual War song.C F
1. In the year of our Lord, Eighteen hundred and six
C G
We set sail from the fair Cobh of Cork.
C F
We were bound far away with a cargo of bricks
C G C
For the fine city hall of New York.
G
In a very fine craft, she was rigged fore-and-aft
C G G7
And oh, how the wild winds drove her
C F.
She had twenty-three masts and withstood several blasts
C G C
And we called her the Irish Rover.C F
2. There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee,
C G
There was Hogan from County Tyrone.
C F
And a chap called McGurk who was scared stiff of work
C G C
and a chap from West Meade called Malone.
G
There was Slugger O'Toole Who was drunk as a rule
C G G7
And fighting Bill Casey from Dover.
C F.
There was Dooley from Claire who was strong as a bear
C G C
And was skipper of the Irish Rover.C F
3. We had one million bales of old billy goats' tails,
C G
We had two million buckets of stones.
C F
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides,
C G C
We had four million packets of bones.
G
We had five million hogs, We had six million dogs,
C G G7
And seven million barrels of porter.
C F.
We had eight million bags of the best Sligo rags
C G C
In the hold of the Irish Rover.C F
4. We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
C G
And the ship lost her way in a fog.
C F
And the whole of the crew was reduced unto two,
C G C
'Twas myself and the captain's old dog.
G
Then the ship struck a rock (pause, or knock on something) with a terrible shock
C G G7
And then she heeled right over,
C F.
She turned nine times around, and the poor old dog was drowned
C G C
I'm the last of the Irish Rover.
Return to Songs of the Sea
Return to Siobhan's Bard Book
Return to Dreamspinners Guild