Mrs. McGrath

"Oh, Mrs McGrath," the sergeant said
"Would you like a soldier in your son Ted
With a scarlett coat and a big cocked hat
Oh, Mrs McGrath, wouldn't you like that?"

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

Now, Mrs McGrath lived on the shore
And after seven years or more
She spied a ship come into the bay
With her son from far away

"Oh captain dear, where have you been
You've been sailing the Mediterranean
Have you news of my son Ted
Is he living or is he dead?"

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

Up came Ted without any legs
And in their place, two wooden pegs
She kissed him a dozen times or two
And said "My god, Ted is it you?"

"Now were you drunk or were you blind
When you left your two fine legs behind
Or was it walking upon the sea
That wore your two fine legs away?"

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

"No, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind
When I left my two fine legs behind
A cannon ball on the fifth of May
Tore my two fine legs away"

"Oh, Teddyboy," the widow cried
"Your two fine legs were your mother's pride
Stumps of a tree won't do at all
Why didn't you run from the cannon ball?"

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

All foreign wars I do proclaim
Live on the blood and the mother's pain
I'd rather have my son as he used to be
Than the King of America and his whole navy

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-diddle-di-a, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a