Digital Tradition Mirror

Orange and the Green

(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

Orange and the Green

Once there was an Irishman, a Protestant was he
My mother was a Catholic, from Kelsey town came she
They were married in two churches,lived happily enough
Until the day that I was born then things got rather tough

CHORUS:
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
My father he was Orange and my mother she was Green

Baptized by father Reilly, and rushed away by car
To become a little Orangeman, my father's shining star
I was christened David Anthony but still in spite of that
To my father I was Billy while my mother called me Pat

Now, with mother every Sunday to Mass we'd proudly stroll
And later on the Orange lads would try to save my soul
Both sides they tried to claim me but I was bad because
I'd play me flute or play me harp depending where I was

Now, when I'd sing those rebel songs 'twould fill my mother's joy
My father would jump up and say ""Now look here Bill me boy
That's enough of that stuff, he'd be tossin' me a coin
To sing about the Orange Flute and the heroes of the Boyne

Well, one day my father's kinfolk, they came to visit me
Too bad my mother's relatives were sittin' down to tea
I tried to calm things over as they began to fight
But bein' strictly neutral I punched everyone in sight

Well, my parents they would not agree about my kind of school
The learnin' was all done at home and that's why I'm a fool
Now they've both passed on God bless them but they left me caught between
That awful color problem of the Orange and the Green

RB
OCT98

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!