Standard (EADGBE)
As I was walking down the road, a-feeling fine and larkey, oh
A recruiting sargeant came up to me, says he, "You'd look fine in khaki, oh
For the King, he is in need of men, come read this proclamation, oh
A life in Flanders for you then would be a fine vacation, oh."
"That may be so," says I to him, "But tell me sargeant, deary-o
If I had a pack stuck up on me back would I be fine and cheery-oh?
For they'd have you train and drill until they'd have you one of the Frenchies, oh
It may be warm in Flanders but it's drafty in the trenches, oh."
The sargeant smiled and winked his eye, his smile was most provoking, oh
He twiddled and twirled his wee moustache, says he, "I know you're only joking, oh.
The sandbags are so warm and high, the wind you won't feel blowing, oh."
I winked at a cailin passing by, says I, "What if it's snowing, oh?"
Come rain or hail or wind or snow, I'm not going out to Flanders, oh
There's fighting in Dublin to be done, let your sargeants and you commanders go.
Let English men fight English wars, it's nearly time they started, oh
I saluted the sargeant a very good night. There and then we parted, oh.
[Rocky Road to Dublin]
As I went down to Galway Town to seek for recreation
On the seventeenth of August, me mind being elevated
There were passengers assembled with their tickets at the station
And me eyes began to dazzle and they off to see the races
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
There were passengers from Limerick and passengers from Nenagh
The boys of Connemara and the Clare unmarried maiden
There were people from Cork City who were loyal, true and faithful
Who brought home the Fenian prisoners from dying in foreign nations
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
And it's there you'll see the pipers and the fiddlers competing
And the sporting wheel of fortune and the four and twenty quarters
And there's others without scruple pelting wattles at poor Maggie
And her father well contented and he gazing at his daughter
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
(instrumental verse)
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
And it's there you'll see the jockeys and they mounted on so stably
The pink, the blue, the orange, and green, the colors of our nation
The time it came for starting, all the horses seemed impatient
Their feet they hardly touched the ground, the speed was so amazing!
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
There was half a million people there of all denominations
The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew, the Presbyterian
Yet there was no animosity, no matter what persuasion
But failte hospitality inducing fresh acquaintance
With me wack fol the do fol the diddle idle day
As I went down to Galway Town
To seek for recreation
On the seventeenth of August
Me mind being elevated
There were passengers assembled
With their tickets at the station
And me eyes began to dazzle
And they off to see the races
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
There were passengers from Limerick
And passengers from Nenagh
The boys of Connemara
And the Clare unmarried maiden
There were people from Cork City
Who were loyal, true and faithful
Who brought home the Fenian prisoners
From dying in foreign nations
And it's there you'll see the pipers
And the fiddlers competing
And the sporting wheel of fortune
And the four and twenty quarters
And there's others without scruple
Pelting wattles at poor Maggie
And her father well contented
And he gazing at his daughter
And it's there you'll see the jockeys
And they mounted on so stably
The pink, the blue, the orange, and green
The colors of our nation
The time it came for starting
All the horses seemed impatient
Their feet they hardly touched the ground
The speed was so amazing!
There was half a million people there
Of all denominations
The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew, the Presbyterian
Yet there was no animosity
No matter what persuasion
But failte hospitality
Inducing fresh acquaintance