Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
In the town of Ballybay there was a lassie dwelling
I knew her very well and her story’s worth a tellin’
Her father kept a still and he was a good distiller
But when she took to the drink well the divil wouldn’t fill
Chorus:
With me ring a ding a da me ring a ding a daddi o
Me ring a ding a da whack for the daddi o
She had a wooden leg it was hollow down the middle
She used to tie a string to it and play it like a fiddle
She’d fiddle in the hall she fiddle in the alley way
She didn’t give a damn she had to fiddle anyway
Chorus
She said she couldn’t dance unless she had her Wellie on
And when she had it on she could dance as well as anyone
She wouldn’t go to bed unless she had her shimmy on
But when she had it on she would go as quick as anyone
Chorus
She had childer up the stairs she had childer in the brier
And another ten or twelve sittin’ roarin’ be the fire
She fed them on potatoes and on soup she made with nettles
And on lumps of hairy bacon that she’d boil up in the kettle
Chorus
She led a sheltered life eating porridge and black pudding
And she terrorized her man until he died right sudden
And when the husband died she was feeling very sorry
She rolled him a bag and she threw him in the quarry
Chorus
Chorus