BANKS
OF THE ROSES
On the banks of the Roses my love and I sat down
And took out my fiddle for to play my love a tune
In the middle of the tune-o she sighed and she said
Young Johnny lovely Johnny would you leave me'
When I was just a young lad I heard my father say
I'd sooner see you dead and buried in the clay
Rather than be married to any runaway
On the lovely sweet banks of the roses.
Oh well now I am a runaway and sure I'll let you know
That I can take a bottle and drink with anyone
And if her father doesn't like me, he can keep his
daughter at home.
Then young Johnny will go roving with another.
If I ever get married 'twill be in the month of May
When the leaves they are green and the meadows they
are gay
And me and my true-love will sit and sport and play
By the lovely sweet banks of the roses
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
BLACK
VELVET BAND
CHORUS
Her eyes they shone like diamonds.
You'd think she was queen of the land.
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
'Twas in the town of Tralee
An apprentice to trade I was bound
With plenty of innocent past-time
To help summer-long days go round
Till misfortune and trouble came over me
Which caused me to stray from my land
Far away from my friends and relations
To follow the Black Velvet Band
As I went strolling down main street
Not intending to stay very long
I met with frolicsome damsel
As she came tripping along
A watch she took out of her pocket
And placed it right into my hand
On the very first day that I met her
Bad luck to her black velvet band
Chorus
Before the judge and the jury
The both of us had to appear
And a gentleman swore to the jewellery
The case against us was clear
I got seven years transportation
Right into Van Diemen's Land
Far away from my friends and relations
Bad luck to the Black Velvet Band
Chorus
Oh all you brave young Irish lads
A warning take by me
Beware of the pretty young damsels
That are knocking around in Tralee,
They'll treat you to whiskey and porter
Until you're unable to stand
And before you have time for to leave them
You're bound for Van Diemen's Land
Chorus
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
FINNEGAN'S
WAKE
Tim Finnegan lived in Walkin Street
A gentleman Irish, mighty odd
He had a tongue both rich and sweet
And to rise in the world he carried a hod
Now Tim had a sort of a tippling way
With a love of the liquor poor Tim was born
And to help him on his way each day
He'd a drop of the cratur every morn
CHORUS
Whack fol de do now dance to your partner
Round the floor your trotters shake
Wasn't it the truth I told you
Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake
One morning Tim was rather full
His head felt heavy which made him shake
He fell from the ladder and broke his skull
So they carried him home, his corpse to wake
They wrapped him up in a nice clean sheet
And laid him out upon the bed
With a gallon of whiskey at his feet
And a barrel of porter at his head
Chorus
His friends assembled at the wake
And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch
First, the brought in tea and cakes
Then pipes with tabacco and whiskey punch
Miss Biddy O'Brien began to cry
'Such a neat clean corpse did you ever see
Yerrah Tim, avourneen, why did you die?'
'Ah hold your toungue,' says Paddy Magee
Chorus
Then Biddy O'Connor took up the moan
'Biddy,' says she, 'you're wrong I'm sure,'
But Biddy gave her a belt in the gob
And left her sprawling on the floor.
Oh then a mighty war did rage
'Twas woman to woman and man to man
Shillelagh law did all engage
And a row and ruction soon began.
Chorus
Then Mickey Maloney ducked his head
When a naggin of whiskey flew at him
It missed him, falling on the bed
The liquor splattered over Tim
Bedad, he revives and see how he rises
And Timothy rising from the bed
Says 'Fling your whiskey round like blazes
Thunderin' Jaysus, do you think I'm dead ?'
Chorus
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
THE IRISH
ROVER
On the fourth of July, eighteen hundred and six
We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand city hall in New York.
'Twas an elegant craft, rigged fore and aft
And how the wild wind drove her
She could stand a great blast in her twenty seven
masts
And we called her the Irish Rover
We had one million bags of the best Sligo rags
We had two million barrels of stones
We had three million sides of old blind horses hides
We had four million barrels of bone
We had five million hogs, six million dogs
Seven million barrels of porter
We had eight million bales of old nanny goats tails
In the hold of the Irish Rover
There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
There was Hogan from County Tyrone.
There was Johnny McGuirk who was scared stiff of work
And a chap from Westmeath called Malone
There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as rule
And fighting Bill Tracy from Dover
There was Dolan from Clare, just as strong as a bear
All aboard on the Irish Rover
We had sailed seven years when the measels broke out
And our ship lost its way in the fog
Then the whole of the crew was reduced down to two
Just myself and the captain's old dog
The ship struck a rock; Lord what a shock
The boat, it was flipped right over
Turned nine times around and the old dog was drowned
I'm the last of the Irish Rover
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
MONTO
Well, if you've got a wing-o, take her up to Ring-o
Where the waxies sing-o, all the day.
If you've had your fill of porter
And you can't go any further
Give your man the order: back to the Quay!
CHORUS
And take her up to Monto, Monto, Monto,
Take her up to Monto, langeroo - To you!
You've heard of the Duke of Gloucester
The dirty old imposter
He got a mot and lost her, up the Furry Glen
He first put on his bowler
And he buttoned up his trousers
And he whistled for a growler
And he says, 'My man' Take me up to etc.
You've heard of the Dublin Fusileers
The dirty old bamboozileers
They went and got the childer, one, two, three
Oh, marching from the Linen Hall
There's one for every cannonball
And Vick's going to send them all
O'er the sea
But first go up to etc.
Now when the Czar of Russia and the King of Prussia
Landed in the Phoenix Park, in a big balloon
They asked the polismen to play
'The wearing of the green'
But the buggers in the depot didn't know the tune
So they both went up to etc.
Now 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.
'Mister Melord the Mayor' says she
'Is this all you've got to show me?
'Why, no ma'am, there's some more to see
Pog mo thoin
And he took her up to etc
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
WHISKEY
IN THE JAR
As I was going over
The Cork and Kerry mountain
I met with Captain Farrell
And his money he was counting
I first produced my pistol
And then produced my rapier
Saying 'Stand and deliver
For I am a bold deceiver
CHORUS
With me ring am a do ama dah
Whack fol the daddy o
Whack fol the daddy o
There's whiskey in the jar.
He counted out his money
It made a pretty penny
I put it in my pocket
And I gave it to my Jenny
She sighed and she swore
That she never would deceive me
But the devil take the women
For you know she tricked me easy
Chorus
I went into my chamber
All for to take a slumber
I dreamt of gold and jewels
And for sure it was no wonder
But Jenny drew my charges
She filled them up with water
She sent for Captain Farrell
To be ready for the slaughter
Chorus
'Twas early in the morning
Before I rose to travel
Up comes a band of soldiers
And likewise Captain Farrell
When I drew my pistol
For she had stole my sabre
I couldn't shoot with water
So a prisoner I was taken
Chorus
If anyone can aid me
It's my brother in the army
If I but knew his station
Be it Cork or in Killarney
And if he would join me
We'd go roving in Kilkenny
He would treat me fairer
Than my darling sporting Jenny
Chorus
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
THE
WILD ROVER
I've been a wild rover for many's the year
And I`ve spent all me money on whiskey and beer
But now I'm returning with gold in great store
And I never will play the wild rover no more
CHORUS
And it's No, Nay, Never. No, Nay, Never, No more
Will I play the wild rover No, Never, No more
I went into an alehouse I used to frequent
And I told the landlady my money was spent
I asked her for credit, she answered me 'Nay
Such custom as yours I could have every day
Chorus
I brought up from my pockets ten sovereigns bright
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight
She said 'I have whiskeys and wines of the best.
And the words that I told you were only in jest.
Chorus
I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodical son
And when they've caressed me as oft times before
I never will play the wild rover no more
Chorus
Alive and Drinkin' in
Ireland
