Tuesday’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day is Maid of Fife. This is a very easy song to play on the 5-string banjo, whether it’s in the Key of G, C or D.
I hope you enjoy.

Maid Of Fife(PDF)

MAID OF FIFE

There [G]once was a troop of Irish Dragoons, Come marching down through [D7]Fife-e-o

And the [G]captain fell in love with a [C]very bonny lass

And her [G]name it was called pretty [C]Pe[D7]ggy-[G]o

There’s many a bonny lass in the town of Augherlass
There’s many a bonny lassie in the Jeery-o
There’s many a bonny Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all is in Fife-e-o

“Oh, come down the stairs pretty Peggy my dear,
Oh, come down the stairs pretty Peggy-o
Oh, come down the stairs, comb back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-o”

The colonel he cried “mount, mount boys mount”, The captain he cried “tarry-o
Oh tarry for a while, for another day or twa’, ‘till I see if this bonny lass will marry-o”

“I never did intend a soldier’s lady for to be, I never will marry a soldier-o
I never did intend to gang to a foreign land, and I never will marry a soldier-o”

Long ‘ere we came to the town of Augerlass, We had our captain to carry-o
And long ‘ere we reached the streets of Aberdeen, We had our captain to bury-o

Green grow the birks on bonny Eithan side, and low lie the lowlands of Fife-e-o
Oh, the captain’s name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the chambermaid of Fife-e-o

Today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day is That Land I Love So Well. This is one of my all Time favorite Tommy Makem songs! I decided to play it in C since it was easier for the novice than in the key of G. I hope you enjoy.

That Land I Love So Well(PDF)

THAT LAND I LOVE SO WELL

Come with [C]me and I’ll take you to the [F]land of my [C]fathers

Where wild heather mountains look out to the [G]sea

You will [C]find hearts as kind as the [F]soft winds of [C]summer

And a warm welcome waiting for [G]you and for [C]me

Chorus:

In that [G]land of song and [C]story

In that [G]land where legends [C]dwell

In that [G]land enshrined in [C]glory

In that land, that [G]land I love so [C]well

Let your feet walk the green hills where heros have battled
For freedom and honour and glory and right
Where the birds sing the praises of men who were gallant
The first in the fray and the last to take flight

You can roam the sweet meadows when the flowers are all blooming
Or fish the bright waters forgetting all care
You can sing with the lark when she welcomes the morning
Or hunt for the pheasant, the fox and the hare

If your bones they are weary and your mind is uneasy
The struggle with life, it is taking its toll
Come with me to a green land of laughter and legend
There’s rest for the body and peace for the soul

Today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day is one of my favorites to play, Katy Daley! This song fits into just about any genre of music depending on how you play it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Katy Daley(PDF)

Katy Daley

Come [G]down the mountain Katy Daley, come down the mountain Katy [D7]do

Can’t you hear us calling, Katy Daley. We want to drink your Irish Mountain [G]Dew

With her old man she came from Tipperary in pioneer days of ‘42
Her old man was shot in Tombstone City for the making of Irish Mountain Dew

Wake up and pay attention Katy Daley, I am the judge that’s gonna sentence you
All the boys at court has drunk the whiskey and tell the truth, I drink a little too

So to the jail they took poor Katy Daley & very soon the gates were opened wide
Angels came to court Katy Daley took her across the Great Divide

Henry My Son is today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day. It’s a Celtic version of Lord Randall and it’s even more popular than the original version.

Henry My Son(PDF)

HENRY MY SON

[G]Where have you been all day, Henry, my son
Where have you been all day, [D7]my beloved one
A[G]way on the meadow, away on the meadow,
Make my bed, I’ve a[D7] pain in my head
And I[G] want to[D7] lie[G] down.

What, did you have to eat, Henry,my son?
What did you have to eat, my beloved one
Poison beans, poison beans,
Make my bed, I’ve a pain in my head
And I want to lie down.

What will you leave your mother, Henry, my son
What will you leave your mother, my beloved one
A woven blanket, a woven blanket,
Make my bed, I’ve a pain in my head
And I want to lie down.

What will you leave your children, Henry, my son
What will you leave your children, my beloved one
The keys to heaven, the keys to heaven,
Make my bed, I’ve a pain in my head
And I want to lie down.

What will you leave your sweetheart, Henry, my son
What will you leave your sweetheart, my beloved one
A rope to hang her, a rope to hang her,
Make my bed, I’ve a pain in my head
And I want to lie down.

Today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day is Take Me Home To Mayo. American audiences have changed some of the nature of the song. Now it’s quite common for everyone to yell out “Mayo!” every time it’s sung in the chorus!

Take Me Home To Mayo(PDF)

TAKE ME HOME TO MAYO

[G] Take me home to Mayo, across the Irish [D] sea

Home to dear old Mayo, where [D7] once I roamed so [G] free

Take me home to Mayo, and let my body [C] lie

Home at last in [G] Mayo, [D] beneath the [D7] Irish [G] sky.

My name is Michael Gaughan, from Ballina I came
I saw my people sufferin’ and I swore to break their chains
I took the boat to England, prepared to fight or die
Far away from Mayo, beneath an Irish sky.

My body cold and hungry, in Parkhurst Jail I lie
For the loving of my country, on hunger strike I’ll die
I have just one last longing, I pray you’ll not deny
Take my body home to Mayo, beneath the Irish sky.

Barrister Bill requested today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day. It’s Red Haired Mary and it’s a fun song if you can get everyone singing along on the chorus. It doesn’t take much skill to play and it’s a good exercise in switching chords while you’re singing.

Red Haired Mary

As [G]I was going to the fair of [D7]Dingle [G]one fine morning [C]last July,

[G]While going up the road [D7]before me a [G]red-haired girl I [D7]chanced to [G]spy.

I went [G]up to her, says I [D7]”Young lady. my [G]donkey can carry [C]two

But [G]seeing as how you [D7]have a donkey To the [G]Dingle fair I’ll [D7]ride with [G]you”.

[G]When we reached the town of [D7]Dingle I [G]took her hand to say [C]good-bye

A [G]tinker man stepped up [D7]behind me and [G]belted me in my [D7]left [G]eye.

Chorus:

[G]Keep your hands off [Em]red Mary [G]her and I will [C]soon be wed

We’ll [G]see the priest this [Em]very morning [G]tonight we’ll lie in a [D7]marriage [G]bed.

Now, I was feeling kind of peevish
And my poor old eye was sad and sore
So I tapped him gently with my hobnail
And he fell back through Murphy’s door

A policeman came around the corner
And he told me I had broke the law
Then, the donkey kicked him in the kneecap
And he fell down and broke his jaw

Then he went off to find his brother
The hot biggest man you ever did meet
And he gently tapped me with his knuckles
And I was minus two front teeth

The red haired girl, she kept on smiling
“I’ll go with you young man” she said
“We’ll forget the priest this very morning
And tonight we’ll lie in Murphy’s shed”
(last two lines of chorus):
We’ll forget the priest this very morning
And tonight we’ll lie in Murphy’s shed

Now, through the town we rode together
My black eye and her red hair
Smiling gaily at the tinkers
And by God, we were a handsome pair

Boys of the Old Brigade is today’s much requested Irish Pub Song Of The Day. I love this song and I like to do it along with Wrap The Green Flag since they follow the same chord progression and almost identical melody.

Boys Of The Old Brigade(PDF)

BOYS OF THE OLD BRIGADE

“Oh [G]father, why are [C]you so sad, on [G]this bright Easter [D7]morn?

When [G]Irishmen are [C]proud and glad [G]of the land [D7]where they were [G]born.”

“Oh, [D]son, I see sad mem’ries view Of [G]far-off [C]distant [D7]days,

When, [G]being just a [C]lad like you, I [G]joined the [D7]IR[G]A.

Chorus

Where [D]are the lads who stood with me When [G]his[C]tory was [G]made?

Oh, [G]gra mo chree I [C]long to see The [G]Boys of the [D7]Old [G]Brigrade

In hills and farms the call to arms
Was heard by one and all,
And from the glens came brave young men
To answer Ireland’s call.
‘Twas long ago we faced the foe,
The old brigade and me,
But by my side they fought and died
That Ireland might be free.

(chorus)

And now, my boy, I’ve told you why
On Easter morn I sigh
For I recall my comrades all
From dark old days gone by,
I think of men who fought in glens
With rifles and grenade
May heaven keep the men who sleep
From the ranks of the old brigade.

When The Boys Come Rollin’ Home is today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day. I first fell in love with this song when I heard Detroit’s Terry Murphy perform it at the old Tipperary Pub. I put it away in my memory and pulled it out one night when the beer and whiskey was flowing freely and was happy that I remember the peculiar turn-around in the song.

When The Boys Come Rollin’ Home(PDF)

WHEN THE BOYS COME ROLLIN’ HOME

I [G]always will remember well the day we went away

[C]Sailing out of [G]Belfast in the [Am]mor[D7]nin’

Our [G]hopes were on tomorrow as we kissed the girls farewell

But our [C]dreams were on the [G]day of our [D7]retur[G]nin’

Chorus:

They’ll be [C]dancin’, [G]romancin’ and [C]never [G]more we’ll [A]roa[D7]m

They’ll be [C]rollin’ in the hey, they’ll be [G]whiskey in the [Em]tay

When the [G]boys come [D7]rollin’ [C]hom[G]e [C] [D7]

We safely reached the other side in New York City fair
In spite of windy rain and stormy weather
We all sat down and drank a glass and wished each other well
And said we’d all come back again together

Well Joe he went to Boston and Sam to Buffalo
And Frank went out as far as Californie
I used to get some letters then but that was long ago
But they always spoke of Ireland and returnin’

I must be over ninety now my grandson’s by the bed
But here I’m in Chicago and still steamin’
He says he’ll take me back again to rest my weary head
Then I’ll leave him a legacy of dreamin’

The Scotsman is today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day. I’ve had a number of questions about playing the bodhran so I decided to combine the two together. I’ve been testing out new resolutions on the video and I think this may finally be the one I’ve been looking for. Once again, I love doing silly songs!!!!

Kelly

The Scotsman(PDF)

The Scotsman

Well a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar on evening fair
And one could tell by how we walked that he drunk more than his share
He fumbled round until he could no longer keep his feet
Then he stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street
Ring ding diddle diddle I de oh ring di diddly I oh
He stumbled off into the grass to sleep beside the street

About that time two young and lovely girls just happend by
And one says to the other with a twinkle in her eye
See yon sleeping Scotsman so strong and handsome built
I wonder if it’s true what they don’t wear beneath the kilt

They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman quiet as could be
Lifted up his kilt about an inch so they could see
And there behold, for them to see, beneath his Scottish skirt
Was nothing more than God had graced him with upon his birth

They marveled for a moment, then one said we must be gone
Let’s leave a present for our friend, before we move along
As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon, tied into a bow
Around the bonnie star, the Scots kilt did lift and show

Now the Scotsman woke to nature’s call and stumbled towards a tree
Behind a bush, he lift his kilt and gawks at what he sees
And in a startled voice he says to what’s before his eyes.
O lad I don’t know where you been but I see you won first prize

Today’s Irish Pub Song Of The Day is a personal favorite. I used to sing Waltzing With Bears to my niece over and over again. I had taken her to see the late, great Tommy Makem and he had everyone singing along to the chorus and it was magic.

Waltzing With Bears(PDF)

WALTZING WITH BEARS

I [G]went upstairs in the [C]middle of the [G]night,

I [D7]tiptoed in and I [C]turned on the [G]light,

And to my surprise, there was [C]no one in [G]sight,

[C]My Uncle [G]Walter goes [D7]waltzing at [G]night!

Chorus:

He goes wa-wa-wa-wa, [C]waltzing with [G]bears,

[D7]Raggy bears, shaggy bears, [C]baggy bears [G]too,

There’s nothing on earth Uncle [C]Walter won’t [G]do,

So [C]he can go [G]waltzing, [C]wa-wa-wa- [G]waltzing,

So [C]he can go [G]waltzing, [D7]waltzing with [G]bears!

I gave Uncle Walter a new coat to wear,
When he came home he was covered with hair,
And lately I’ve noticed several new tears,
I’m sure Uncle Walter goes waltzing with bears!

We told Uncle Walter that he should be good,
And do all the things that we said he should,
But I know that he’d rather be out in the wood,
I’m afraid we might lose Uncle Walter for good!

We begged and we pleaded, “Oh please won’t you stay!”
We managed to keep him at home for a day,
But the bears all barged in, and they took him away!
Now he’s waltzing with pandas, and he can’t understand us,
And the bears all demand at least one dance a day!