Mush Mush

Oh, 'twas there I learned readin' and writin',
At Bill Brackett's where I went to school,
And 'twas there I learned howlin' and fightin'
With me schoolmaster, Mister O'Toole.
Him and me we had many a scrimmage,
An' divil a copy I wrote;
There was ne'er a gossoon in the village
Dared tread on the tail o' me...

cho: Mush, mush, mush toor-i-li-ady
Mush, mush, mush toor-i-li-ay
There was ne'er a gossoon in the village
Dared tread on the tail o' me coat.

Oh, 'twas there that I learned all me courtin'
O the lessons I took in the art!
Till Cupid, the blackguard, while sportin'
An arrow drove straight through my heart.
Miss Judy, she lived just forinst me,
And tender lines to her I wrote,
If ye dare say one hard word agin her
I'll tread on the tail o' yer...

But a blackguard called Mickey Maloney,
Came an' stole her affections away
For he'd money and I hadn't any,
So I sent him a challenge next day.
In the evenin' we met at the Woodbine
The Shannon we crossed in a boat,
An' I lathered him with me shillelagh
For he trod on the tail o' me...

Oh, me fame went abroad through the nation,
An' folks came a-flockin' to see
An' they cried out, without hesitation
"You're a fightin' man, Billy McGhee!"
Oh, I've cleaned out the Finnegan faction
An' I've licked all the Murphys afloat,
If you're in for a row or a ruction,
Just tread on the tail o' me...


Recorded by Patric Galvin, Clancys (I think), featured in film
"The Quiet Man"
RG