irish : single again lyrics

WHEN I WAS SINGLE

When I was single I wore a plaid shawl

Now that I'm married I've nothing at all

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

He came up our alley and he whistled me out

But the tail of his shirt from his trousers hung out

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

He bought me a handkerchief red white and blue

But before I could wear it he tore it in two

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

He brought me to an ale house to buy me some stout

But before I could drink he order me out

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

He borrowed some money to buy me a ring

Then he and the jeweler went off on a fling

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

There's cakes in the oven there's cheese on the self

If you want any more you can sing it yourself

Oh but still I love him I'll forgive him

I'll go with him where ever he goes

 

_______

When I was single, oh then, oh then,

When I was single, oh then.

When I was single, my pockets would jingle,

And I wisht I was single again.

I married me a wife, oh then, oh then.

I married me a wife, oh then.

I married me a wife, and she's joy of my life,

And I wisht I was single again.

 

My wife died, oh then, oh then.

My wife died, oh then.

My wife died, and I laughed and I cried

To think I was single again.

 

I married me another, oh then, oh then. I married me another, oh then.

I married me another, and she's the Devil's grandmother,

And I wish I was single again.

 

She beat me, she banged me, oh then, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, and threatened to hang me,

And I wisht I was single again.

I love music, but I can not sing. Most of the time there is music playing while I work and almost always there is music running through my head - a tune stuck on replay often for days until replaced by another one. A song I've been hearing over and over is one I associate with my mother. I have no idea how old I was when I first heard this song, but it is among my earliest childhood memories.

My mother had a good singing voice, but she confined her singing mainly to church. The one song that I remember her singing was "I Wish I Was Single Again. If I was Single, My Pockets Would Jingle." After hearing the music in my mind for days on end, I did a Google search to learn more about the song.

It appears variations of the lyrics have been around since the early 1900s and it has been recorded by many different artists. One version of the song goes like this:

Duos & Groups A-H

Abbey Tavern Singers The Bards Barley Bree Barleycorn The Buskers Cherish the Ladies Clancy Bros. & Tommy Makem The Corrib Folk Dublin City Ramblers The Dubliners Eddie & Finbar Furey The Fureys & Davey Arthur Duos & Groups I-Z

The Irish Brigade The Irish Rovers The Johnstons The

THE WELLY BOOT SONG

(McEwen)

Chorus:

Wellies they are wonderful, oh wellies they are swell,

Cause they keep oot the water, an' they keep in the smell,

An' when yer sittin in a room, you can always tell,

When some bugger takes off his wellies.

 

If it wasna for your wellies where would you be?

You'd be in the hospital or infirmary,

Cause you would have a dose of the flu or even pluracy,

If you didna have your feet in your wellies!

 

But when yer oot walking, in the country way about

An yer strolling over fields just like a fairmer's herd.

And somebody shouts "Keep aff the grass," and you think "How absurd;"

And, squelch, you find why fairmers a' wear wellies.

 

There's fishermen and firemen, there's farmers an a',

Men oot digging ditches an' working in the snaw;

This country it would grind tae a halt and no' a thing would graw

If it wasna for the workers in their wellies.

 

Noo Edward Heath and Wilson, they havna made a hit,

They're ruining this country, mair than just a bit,

If they keep on the way they are goin', we'll all be in the sh..,

So you'd be'er ge(t) your feet in your wellies.

 

back to W index

 

 

WHA SAW THE 42ND

Saw ye the Forty-Second? Saw ye them gaun awa'?

Saw ye the Forty-Second Marching to the Broomielaw?

Some o' them had boots an' stockin's, Some o' them had nane ava;

Some o' them had tartan plaidies, Marching to the Broomielaw.

 

Fa saw the Forty-Second, fa saw them gang awa?

Fa saw the Forty-Second gaein' to the Waupinschaw?

Some o' them gat chappit tatties, some o' them gat nane ava.

Some o' them gat barley bannocks, gaein' to the Waupinschaw.

 

Fa saw the Forty-Second, fa saw them gang awa?

Fa saw the Forty-Second marchin' doun the Broomie-Law?

Some of them had tartan troosers, some of them had nane ava,

Some of them had green umbrellas, marchin' doun the Broomie-Law.

 

Wha saw the 'Forty-second' Wha saw them gaun awa'

Wha saw the 'Forty-second' Marchin' doon the Broomielaw.

Some o' them had buits and stockin's, some o' them had nane at a',

Some o' them had tartan trousers, marchin' doon the Broomielaw.

 

Saw ye the Forty-Second? Saw ye them gaun awa'?

Saw ye the Forty-Second Marching to the Broomielaw?

Some o' them had boots an' stockin's, Some o' them had nane ava;

Some o' them had tartan plaidies, Marching to the Broomielaw.

Some o' them had kilts and sporrans, some o' them had nane at a',

Some o' them had braw Glengarries Marchin' doon the Broomielaw.

 

WHA WADNA FECHT FOR CHARLIE

Chorus:

Wha wadna fecht for Charlie

Wha wadna draw the sword

Wha wadna up and rally

At the Royal Prince's word

 

Think on Scotia's ancient heroes

Think on foreign foes repelled

Think on loyal Bruce and Wallace

Wha the proud usurper quelled

 

Chorus

See the northern clans advancing

See Glengarry and Lochiel

See the Brandished board-sword glancing

Highland hearts as true as steel

 

Chorus

Now the Prince has raised his banner

Now triumphant is our cause

Now the Scottish Lion rallies

Let us fight for Prince and Laws

Chorus

 

WHACK FOL THE DIDDLE

(Peadar Carney)

I'll sing you a song of peace and love,

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

To the land that reigns all lands above.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

May peace and plenty be her share

Who kept our homes from want and care,

God bless Mother England is our prayer.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

 

Chorus:

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

So we say, Hip Hooray!

Come and listen while we pray.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

 

When we were savage, fierce and wild

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

She came like a mother to her child.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

She gently raised us from the slime

Kept our hands from hellish crime,

And sent us to Heaven in her own good time.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

 

Now our fathers oft were very bad boys.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

Guns and pikes are dangerous toys.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

From Bearna Baol to Bunker Hill

They made poor England weep her fill,

But ould Britannia loves us still!

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

 

Now Irishmen, forget the past!

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

And think of the time that's coming fast.

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

When we shall all be civilized,

Neat and clean and well-advised.

And won't Mother England be surprised?

Whack fol the diddle all the di do day.

 

WHACKER HUMPHRIES

(Christy Moore)

One day as I was walking past the bridge in Dolphin's Barn

Down by the old canal I saw some children in a car

In the back they were shootin' up smack, I had a bird's eye view

When I dialed for help, told me there's nothing we can do

Both sides of the river, clearly to be seen

Down along O'Connell Street and up to Stephen's Green

Heroin sold openly; there was no need to hide

The drug squads were out numbered; it seems their hands were tied

 

John Whacker Humphries he's a family man

Him and his wife they give their children everything they can

Faced with scourge of heroin, they'd not accept defeat

They joined other Concerned Parents to put the dealers off the street

They called on dealer's houses and ordered them to quit

Time and time again, they warned, we've had enough of it

Dirty needles in our doorways, junkies hanging all about

Keep on dealing heroin and you're gonna be moved out

 

From Saint Teresa's gardens to the flats in Ballymun

Concerned Parents action had the dealers on the run

They swore they'd stand together till the heroin was stopped

Can anybody tell me why they got their fingers rapped

 

They were rounded up and charged with crimes against the state

Brought before the Green Street Court to decide their fate

Denied a trial by jury and there was no bail

The Concerned Parents were taken off to jail

I was sitting in the gallery among families, friends and wives

I strained to hear who told the truth and who was telling lies

Dealers, junkies and police on the prosecution side

I swear to God that's what I saw before my very eyes

 

Whacker Humphries took the dealers on and he fought 'em tooth and nail

And a dozen well-armed soldiers took him to the Portlaoise Jail

He tried to protect his children, found guilty of a crime

One man gets a pension, another man gets time

 

This morning I was walking past the bridge in Dolphin's Barn

I heard a small bird whisper, "Mind you come to any harm"

 

 

 

WHATEVER YOU SAY, SAY NOTHING

(Colum Sands)

Chorus:

Whatever you say, say nothing, when you talk about you know what

For if you know who should hear you, you know what you'll get

They'll take you off to you know where for you wouldn't know how long

So for you know who's sake don't let anyone hearing singing this song

 

You all know what I'm speaking of when I mention you know what

And I fear it's very dangerous to even mention that

For the other ones are always there, although you may not see

And if anyone asks who told you that, please don't mention me

 

Chorus

 

You all know who I'm speaking of when I mention you know who

For if you know who could hear you, you know what he'd do

So if you don't see me again, you'll know why I'm away

And if anyone asks you where I've gone, here's what you must say

 

Chorus

 

Well, that's enough about so and so, not to mention such and such

I'd better end my song for I've already said too much

For the less you hear and the less you say, the less you'll go astray

And the less you think and the less you do, the more you'll hear them say

 

Chorus

 

 

WHEN MARGARET WAS ELEVEN

(Pete St. John)

My father sailed away, and the band played tunes of glory

A giant man with ribbons and bedeviled dignity.

A regimental sergeant the back bone of the Empire

For God and righteous glory, bound for HighGermany.

 

Chorus:

Sweet Lord I was just seven, when Margaret waseleven,

They served us war for breakfast and soldiers songsfor tea

Your father's gone campaignin' was a way of notexplainin'

That soldiers are the living proof of our in humanity

 

My childhood passed away midst tales and luridstories

Of manufactured glories and inhuman gallantry

I asked "when is war over?" But no one deemed toanswer me

And Margaret played the dreaded tune called HighGermany.

 

Chorus:

Sweet Lord I was just seven, when Margaret was eleven,

They served us war for breakfast and soldiers songs for tea

Your father's gone campaignin' was a way of not explainin'

That soldiers are the living proof of our in humanity

 

My father made it home but he came without his reason

Two eyes of molten madness a senseless fool of war

He's just a child - my mother cried to be dressed in full regalia

And paraded as a hero home from High Germany.

 

Chorus:

Sweet Lord I was just seven, when Margaret was eleven,

They served us war for breakfast and soldiers songs for tea

Your father's gone campaignin' was a way of not explainin'

That soldiers are the living proof of our in humanity

There were tunes glory for Margaret and me

 

 

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Neil Winchel <neil.winchel@verizon.net>
To: neil winchel music education <neil.winchel.musiceducation@blogger.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 11:30 AM
Subject: single again lyrics

 

When I was single, oh then, oh then,

When I was single, oh then.

When I was single, my pockets would jingle,

And I wisht I was single again.

I married me a wife, oh then, oh then.

I married me a wife, oh then.

I married me a wife, and she's joy of my life,

And I wisht I was single again.

 

My wife died, oh then, oh then.

My wife died, oh then.

My wife died, and I laughed and I cried

To think I was single again.

 

I married me another, oh then, oh then. I married me another, oh then.

I married me another, and she's the Devil's grandmother,

And I wish I was single again.

 

She beat me, she banged me, oh then, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, and threatened to hang me,

And I wisht I was single again.

I love music, but I can not sing. Most of the time there is music playing while I work and almost always there is music running through my head - a tune stuck on replay often for days until replaced by another one. A song I've been hearing over and over is one I associate with my mother. I have no idea how old I was when I first heard this song, but it is among my earliest childhood memories.

My mother had a good singing voice, but she confined her singing mainly to church. The one song that I remember her singing was "I Wish I Was Single Again. If I was Single, My Pockets Would Jingle." After hearing the music in my mind for days on end, I did a Google search to learn more about the song.

It appears variations of the lyrics have been around since the early 1900s and it has been recorded by many different artists. One version of the song goes like this:

 

When I was single, oh then, oh then,

When I was single, oh then.

When I was single, my pockets would jingle,

And I wisht I was single again.

I married me a wife, oh then, oh then.

I married me a wife, oh then.

I married me a wife, and she's joy of my life,

And I wisht I was single again.

 

My wife died, oh then, oh then.

My wife died, oh then.

My wife died, and I laughed and I cried

To think I was single again.

 

I married me another, oh then, oh then. I married me another, oh then.

I married me another, and she's the Devil's grandmother,

And I wish I was single again.

 

She beat me, she banged me, oh then, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, and threatened to hang me,

And I wisht I was single again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was single, oh then, oh then,

When I was single, oh then.

When I was single, my pockets would jingle,

And I wisht I was single again.

I married me a wife, oh then, oh then.

I married me a wife, oh then.

I married me a wife, and she's joy of my life,

And I wisht I was single again.

 

My wife died, oh then, oh then.

My wife died, oh then.

My wife died, and I laughed and I cried

To think I was single again.

 

I married me another, oh then, oh then. I married me another, oh then.

I married me another, and she's the Devil's grandmother,

And I wish I was single again.

 

She beat me, she banged me, oh then, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, oh then.

She beat me, she banged me, and threatened to hang me,

And I wisht I was single again.