Songs and Lyrics

Version 1

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X:1
T: the Irish Rover
Z:Webmaster
C:Joseph M Crofts
Z:Webmaster
R: march
Q:1/4=120
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: D
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ABc [| "D"d3 e | f2 ed | "A7"e>f ec | A2 Bc | "D"d3 e | f2 ed | "A7"e3 c | [AA2]G FE |
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W:1
W:On the fourth of July, eighteen hundred and six
W:We set sail from the sweet cove of Cork
W:We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
W:For the Grand City Hall in New York
W:'Twas a wonderful craft she was rigged fore and aft
W:And oh, how the wild wind drove her
W:She stood several blasts she had twenty-seven masts
W:And they called her The Irish Rover
W:
W:2
W:We had one million bags of the best Sligo Rags
W:wW had two million barrels of stone
W:We had three million sides of old blind horses hides
W:We had four million barrels of bones
W:We had five million hogs, Six million dogs
W:Seven million barrels of porter
W:We had eight million bails of old nanny goats' tails
W:In the hold of The Irish Rover
W:
W:3
W:There was ol' Mickey Coote who played hard on his flute
W:When the ladies lined up for a set
W:He was tootin' with skill for each sparkling quadrille
W:Though the dancers were fluther'd and bet
W:With his smart witty talk he was cock of the walk
W:And he rolled the dames under and over
W:They all knew at a glance when he took up his stance
W:That he sailed in The Irish Rover
W:
W:4
W:There was Barney McGee from the banks of the Lee
W:There was Hogan from County Tyrone
W:There was Johnny McGurk who was scared stiff of work
W:And a man from Westmeath called Malone
W:There was Slugger O'Toole who was drunk as a rule
W:And fighting Bill Treacy from Dover
W:And your man, Mick MacCann from the banks of the Bann
W:Was the skipper on The Irish Rover
W:
W:5
W:For the sailor it's always a bother in life
W:It's so lonesome by night and by day
W:That he longs for the shore and a charming young whore
W:Who will melt all his troubles away
W:Oh, the noise and the rout swillin' poitin and stout
W:For him soon the torment's over
W:Of the love of a maid, he is never afraid
W:That old salt from The Irish Rover
W:
W:6
W:We had sailed seven years when the measles broke out
W:And the ship lost its way in the fog
W:And that whale of a crew was reduced down to two
W:Just myself and the Captain's old dog
W:Then the ship struck a rock, Oh Lord, what a shock
W:The bulkhead was turned right over
W:Turned nine times around and the poor old dog was drowned
W:That's the last of The Irish Rover

Version 2

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Song Note

Song by Joseph M Crofts
Country of origin: England

Folk song references:

Roud-1173

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