Journey Through Ireland

In the days I went a courtin', I was never tired resortin' To an alehouse or a playhouse and many's the house beside But I told me brother Seamus, I'd go off and be right famous And I'd never would return again till I'd roam the world wide

Goodbye Muirsheen Durkin, I'm sick and tired of workin' No more, I'll dig the prates and no longer, I'll be fooled As sure as me name is Carney, I'll be off to Californy Where instead of diggin' prates, I'll be diggin' lumps of gold

I've courted girls in Blarney, in Kanturk and in Killarney In Passage and in Queenstown that is the Cobh of Cork Goodbye to all this pleasure and I'll be off to take me leisure And the next time that you hear from me will be a letter from New York

Goodbye Muirsheen Durkin, oh, I'm sick and tired of workin'

No more, I'll dig the prates and no longer, I'll be fooled As sure as me name is Carney, I'll be off to Californy Where instead of diggin' prates, I'll be diggin' lumps of gold

Goodbye to all the girls at home, I'm going far across the foam To try and make me fortune in far America There's gold and jewels in plenty for the poor and for the gentry And when I return again I never more will say

Goodbye Muirsheen Durkin, sure I'm sick and tired of workin' No more, I'll dig the prates and no longer, I'll be fooled As sure as me name is Carney, I'll be off to Californy Where instead of diggin' prates, I'll be diggin' lumps of gold

What did I have, said the fine old woman What did I have, this proud old woman did say I had four green fields, each one was a jewel But strangers came and tried to take them from me I had fine strong sons, who fought to save my jewels They fought and they died, and that was my grief said she

Long time ago, said the fine old woman Long time ago, this proud old woman did say There was war and death, plundering and pillage My children starved, by mountain, valley and sea And their wailing cries, they shook the very heavens My four green fields ran red with their blood, said she

What have I now, said the fine old woman What have I now, this proud old woman did say I have four green fields, one of them's in bondage In stranger's hands, that tried to take it from me But my sons had sons, as brave as were their fathers My fourth green field will bloom once again said she

Oh well, who wouldn't be a sailor lad a 'Sailin' on the main To gain the goodwill of his captain's good name He came ashore one evening for to be And that was the beginning of my own true love and me

Chorus:
And its home, boys home Home I'd like to be, home for a while in my own coun-try Where the oak and the ash and the bonny rowan tree Are all a-growing green in the old country

Well I asked her for a candle for to light me up to bed And likewise for a handkerchief to tie around me head She tended to me needs like a young maid ought to do So then I says to her: 'Now won't you leap in with me too?'

Chorus, Well she jumped into bed, making no alarm Thinking a young sailor lad could do to her no harm Well I hugged her and I kissed her the whole nightlong Till she wished the short night had been seven years long Chorus,

Well early next morning the sailor lad arose And into Mary's apron threw a handful of gold Saying, 'Take this me dear for the mischief that I've done For tonight I fear I've left you with a daughter or a son'

Chorus,

'Well, if it be a girl child, send her out to nurse With gold in her pocket and with silver in her purse And if it be a boy child he'll wear the jacket blue And go climbing up the rigging like his daddy used to do'

Chorus,

Oh, come all of you fair maidens, a warning take by me And never let a sailor lad an inch above your knee For I trusted one and he beguiled me He left me with a pair of twins to dangle on me knee

Chorus.

I'll tell me ma when I go home The boys won't leave the girls alone They pull my hair, they steal my comb But that's all right till I get home She is handsome, she is pretty She is the belle of Belfast city She is courting one, two, three Please, won't you tell me, who is she?

Albert Mooney says he loves her All the boys are fighting for her Knock at the door and ring the bell Saying, oh my true love, are you well? Out she comes, white as snow Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes Old Johnny Murray says she'll die If she doesn't get the fellow with the roving eye

Let the wind and the rain and the hail go high Snow come tumbling from the sky She's as nice as apple pie She'll get a fellow by and by When she gets a lad of her own She won't tell her ma when she gets home Let them all come as they will It's Albert Mooney she loves still

I'll tell me ma when I go home The boys won't leave the girls alone They pull my hair, they steal my comb But that's all right till I get home She is handsome, she is pretty She is the belle of Belfast city She is courting one, two, three Please, won't you tell me, who is she?

Red her cheeks as rowans are Bright her eyes as any star Fairest of them all by far Is our darlin' Marie

Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row All for Marie's wedding

Plenty hearing, plenty meal Plenty peat to fill her kreel Plenty bonnie bairns as well That's the toast for Marie Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row All for Marie's wedding

Red her cheeks as rowans are Bright her eyes as any star Fairest of them all by far Is our darlin' Marie

Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row All for Marie's wedding Over hillways, up and down Myrtle green and bracken brown Past the sheilings, through the town All for the sake of Marie

Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row All for Marie's wedding

Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row All for Marie's wedding Step we gaily on we go Heel and heel and toe for toe Arm and arm and row and row Who the fuck is Marie

As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a woollen blanket that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But buttons in a blanket sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw a pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns that pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see They're two lovely Geranium pots me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But laces in Geranium pots I never saw before

And as I went home on Friday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw a head upon the bed where my old head should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns that head upon the bed where my old head should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a baby boy that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But a baby boy with his whiskers on sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw two hands upon her breasts where my old hands should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns them hands upon your breasts where my old hands should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a lovely night gown that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But fingers in a night gown sure I never saw before

As I went home on Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be I saw a thing in her thing where my old thing should be Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me Who owns that thing in your thing where my old thing should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more But hair on a tin whistle sure I never saw before