Mrs. McGrath Songtext

"Mrs. McGrath," the sergeant said, "Would you like a soldier of your son, Ted? With a scattered coat and a big cocked hat, Mrs. McGrath wouldn you like that?" With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle- di-a, too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a with a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a Mrs. McGrath lived on the shore For the space of seven long years or more she spied a ship come in to the bay with her son from far away "Oh, Captain dear, where have ye been. ye been sailin' the Mediterranean'. Have ye news of my son Ted. Is he livin' or is he dead?" with a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a There came Ted without any legs And in their place two wooden pegs She kissed him a dozen times or two and said "My god, Ted, is it you?" "Now were ye drunk or were ye blind When ye left yer two fine legs behind? Or was it the walking upon the sea That tore your legs away?" "No I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind When I left my two fine legs behind. a cannon ball on the fifth of May Tore my two fine legs away." With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a, too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a "Now Teddy boy," the widow cried "Yer two fine legs were your mother's pride stumps of a tree won't do at all Why didn't ye run from the cannon ball?" With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a, too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a With a too-ri-a, fo-diddle-di-a too-ri-o-ri-o-ri-a "Now against all war, I do profrain Between Don Juan and the King of Spain And, by herrons, I'll make 'em rue the time When they swept the legs from a child of mine."