the irish lass

Wish I Knew the Tune to This

It's from the movie Take Me Out to The Ball Game (1949)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Music: Roger Edens
Lyrics: Betty Comden + Adolph Green
Premiere: 1949
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If It Weren't For The Irish

Verse 1:

They used to sing of "Lanigan's Ball,"
And sing of "Branigan's Band;"
Aye, "Lanigan's Ball," I like to recall,
And "Branigan's Band" was grand;
They used to sing of "Barney McCoy,"
They'd even sing a song about "Pat Malloy;"
They'd sing a song of joy,
Each Irish girl and boy.

Chorus 1:

If it weren't for the Irish, you'd have to forsake
Sweet "Rosie O'Grady," and "Finnegan's wake,"
And "My Wild Irish Rose," that you sing louder.
Then the Overalls in "Missus Murphy's chowder."
If it weren't for the Irish, you'd lose from the start,
Your Father's Shillelagh and "Peg O' My Heart."
There would be no stew the Mulligans once made,
There would be no Saint Patrick's Day parade,
There would be no pickin' Shamrock, no "wearin' of the green,"
And there'd be no one to ever take you home again Kathleen.
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be
A Johnny McCormack, a "Mother McCree;"
When your Irish eyes are smilin' I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Verse 2:

They used to sing "The Mulligan Guard,"
The Mulligan Guard did, too.
"The Mulligan Guard" was never as hard
As makin' Mulligan stew.
They sang a song of daughter and son,
To sing of anyone was lots of fun,
They even sang 'em sad,
Each Irish lass and lad.

Chorus 1:

If it weren't for the Irish, you'd have to forsake
Sweet "Rosie O'Grady," and "Finnegan's wake,"
And "My Wild Irish Rose," that you sing louder.
Then the Overalls in "Missus Murphy's chowder."
If it weren't for the Irish, you'd lose from the start,
Your Father's Shillelagh and "Peg O' My Heart."
There would be no stew the Mulligans once made,
There would be no Saint Patrick's Day parade,
There would be no pickin' Shamrock, no "wearin' of the green,"
And there'd be no one to ever take you home again Kathleen.
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be
A Johnny McCormack, a "Mother McCree;"
When your Irish eyes are smilin' I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Chorus 2:

If it weren't for the Irish, there'd be no "Paddy's Pigs,"
No "bringin' up Father," no "Maggie and Jiggs."
And no whiskey stills or Guinness stout a-bubblin',
And no Abbey Players actin' in Ould Dublin!
If it weren't for the Irish, you'd find as before:
No Corn Beef and Cabbage and no Dinty Moore.
You would never hear of "Paddy Duffy's Cart,"
There would be no team of Harrigan and Hart,
There'd be no Kilkenny kittens, no setter dogs to sire,
And no cow for Miss O'Leary and no big Chicago fire!
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be
A ghost or a goblin or wailing Banshee;
As for ghosties and for ghoulies, I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.