Digital Tradition Mirror

Mush Mush

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

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

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!