Songs and Lyrics

Version 1

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%abc-2.1
X:1
T:Mrs. McGrath
Z:Webmaster
C:Trad (1807-1814)
O:Ireland
M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=180
K:G
z2zB | G/2G/2GED | GGAG/2A/2 | B/2B/2B/2B/2 B/2A/2G/2A/2 | 
w:Oh Miss-us Mc-Grath the Serg-eant said Would you like to make a sold-ier out of
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w:your son Ted? - With a scar-let coat and a big cock'd hat Sure Mis-us Mc-Grath would-nt
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w:you like that? With your too-ri-ay Fol-the-did-dle day Too-ri-yoo-ri-too-ri-ay
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W:Oh Mrs. McGrath! the sergeant said, 
W:"Would you like to make a soldier of your son, Ted, 
W:With a scarlet coat and a big cocked hat? 
W:Now Mrs. McGrath, wouldn't you like that?"
W:(ch)
W:With your too-ria-aa,  fol-the-did-dle-sa, Too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa 
W:.
W:So Mrs. McGrath lived on the seashore, 
W:For the space of seven long years or more, 
W:Till she saw a big ship sailing into the bay, 
W:Here's my son, Ted, wisha clear the way. 
W:.
W:"Oh, Captain dear, tell me where have you been? 
W:Have you been on the Mediterr-aa-i-een? 
W:And have you any news of my son, Ted,  
W:Is the poor boy living or is he dead? "
W:.
W:Then up comes Ted, without any legs, 
W:And in their place he has two wooden pegs, 
W:She kissed him a dozen times or two, 
W:Saying "Glory be to heaven, lor it can't be you". 
W:.
W:"Oh were you drunk or were you blind, 
W:That you left your two fine legs behind. 
W:Or was it walking on the sea, 
W:Wore your two fine legs from their knees away?"
W:.
W:"Oh, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind, 
W:When I left me two legs behind. 
W:For a cannon-ball on the fifth of May, 
W:Shot me two fine legs from me knee away. "
W:.
W:Oh then, Teddy, me boy, the widow cried, 
W:"Yer two fine legs were yer mammy's pride, 
W:Them two wooden stumps won't do at all, 
W:Why didn't yer run away from the big cannon-ball?"
W:.
W:All foreign wars I do proclaim 
W:Between Don John and the King of Spain, 
W:And by heavens I'll make them rue the time  
W:That they swept the legs from a child of mine. 
W:.
W:Oh, then if I had you back again 
W:I'd ne'er let you go to fight the King of Spain. 
W:For I'd rather my Ted as he used to be, 
W:Than the King of France and his whole navee

Version 2

Version 3

Song Note

Song by Traditional
Country of origin: Ireland

Folk song references:

Roud-678

Song to be found in the following collection(s):

Songs From Hazzards Huzzah

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