The Cowherd's Flute

de Traditional

Oh, me name is Mick McGuire and I'll quickly tell to you
Of a young girl I admired called Katy Donahue
She was fair and fat and forty and believe me when I say
That whenever I came in at the door you could hear her mammy say:

"Johnny, get up from the fire, get up and give the man a sate
Can't you see it's Mr McGuire and he's courting your sister Kate
Ah, you know very well he owns a farm a wee bit out of the town
Arragh, get up out of that, you impudent brat, and let Mr McGuire sit down"

Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
"Ah, you know very well he owns that farm a wee bit out of the town
Arragh, get up out of that, you impudent brat, and let Mr McGuire sit down"
Now, the first time that I met her was at a dance at Tarmagee
And I very kindly asked her if she'd dance a step with me
Then I asked if I could see her home if I'd be going her way
And whenever I come in at the door you could hear her mammy say:

Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
"Ah, you know very well he owns that farm a wee bit out of the town
Arragh, get up out of that, you impudent brat, and let Mr McGuire sit down"
Ah, but now that we are married, sure her mother's changed her mind
Just because I spent the legacy her father left behind
She hasn't got the decency to bid me time of day
Now whenever I come in at the door you'd hear the old one say:

"Johnny, come up to the fire, come up, you're sitting in the draft
Can't you see it's old McGuire and he nearly drives me daft
Ah, I don't know what gets into him, for he's always on the tare
Arragh, just sit where you are and never you dare to give old McGuire the chair"

Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
Diddle e dowdle-owdle-owdle diddle e dowdle-owdle-ow
"Ah, I don't know what gets into him, for he's always on the tare
Arragh, just sit where you are and never you dare to give old McGuire the chair"