THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNE
Oh Mary, this London's a wonderful sight,
Wid the people here workin’ by day and by night:
They don't sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat,
But there's gangs o’ them diggin' for gold in the street --
At least, when I axed them, that's what I was told,
So I just took a hand at this diggin' for gold.
But for all that I've found there, I might as well be
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
I believe that, when writin’, a wish you expressed
As to how the fine ladies of London are dressed.
Well, if you’ll believe me, when axed to a ball,
They don't wear a top to their dresses at all!
Oh, I've seen them meself, and you could not, in thrath,
Say if they were bound for a ball or a bath --
Don't be startin' them fashions now, Mary Machree,
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
I've seen England's King from the top of a bus --
And I never knew him, though he means to know us:
And though by the Saxon we once were oppressed,
Still, I cheered -- God forgive me -- I cheered with the rest.
And now that he's visited Erin's green shore
We'll be much better friends than we've been heretofore
When we've got all we want, we're as quiet as can be
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
You remember young Peter O'Loughlin, of course --
Well, here he is now at the head of the Force.
I met him to-day, I was crossin’ the Strand,
And he stopped the whole street wid wan wave of his hand:
And there we stood talking of days that are gone,
While the whole population of London looked on;
But for all these great powers, he's wishful like me,
To be back where dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.
There's beautiful girls here -- oh, never you mind!
With beautiful shapes Nature never designed,
And lovely complexions, all roses and crame,
But O'Loughlin remarked wid regard to them same:
‘That if at those roses you venture to sip,
The colour might all come away on your lip,’
So I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin' for me --
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
Oh Mary, this London's a wonderful sight,
Wid the people here workin’ by day and by night:
They don't sow potatoes, nor barley, nor wheat,
But there's gangs o’ them diggin' for gold in the street --
At least, when I axed them, that's what I was told,
So I just took a hand at this diggin' for gold.
But for all that I've found there, I might as well be
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
I believe that, when writin’, a wish you expressed
As to how the fine ladies of London are dressed.
Well, if you’ll believe me, when axed to a ball,
They don't wear a top to their dresses at all!
Oh, I've seen them meself, and you could not, in thrath,
Say if they were bound for a ball or a bath --
Don't be startin' them fashions now, Mary Machree,
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
I've seen England's King from the top of a bus --
And I never knew him, though he means to know us:
And though by the Saxon we once were oppressed,
Still, I cheered -- God forgive me -- I cheered with the rest.
And now that he's visited Erin's green shore
We'll be much better friends than we've been heretofore
When we've got all we want, we're as quiet as can be
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.
You remember young Peter O'Loughlin, of course --
Well, here he is now at the head of the Force.
I met him to-day, I was crossin’ the Strand,
And he stopped the whole street wid wan wave of his hand:
And there we stood talking of days that are gone,
While the whole population of London looked on;
But for all these great powers, he's wishful like me,
To be back where dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.
There's beautiful girls here -- oh, never you mind!
With beautiful shapes Nature never designed,
And lovely complexions, all roses and crame,
But O'Loughlin remarked wid regard to them same:
‘That if at those roses you venture to sip,
The colour might all come away on your lip,’
So I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin' for me --
Where the Mountains o’ Mourne sweep down to the sea.