Arthur McBride

– Trad.

I had a first cousin called Arthur McBride
He and I went a-walking down by the seaside
A-viewin‘ for pleasure and what might betide
For the weather was pleasant and charming
And for recreation we took on a tramp
And we met sergeant Harper and corporal Cramp
And a little wee drummer who rose up the camp
With his row-dee-dow-dow in the morning

„Good morning, good morning“, the sergeant did cry
„And the twice to you, gentlemen“, was our reply
There was nothing to say, so we went to pass by
For the weather was pleasant and charming
„Hold on!“ cried the sergeant, „If you will enlist,
It’s ten guineas of gold I will stick in your fist,
And a crown in the bargain, for to kick up the dust
And drink the Queen’s health in the morning“

„Oh surely“, said Arthur, „We’re single and free,
But we take enough pride in our own company
And we have no desire strange places to see
Though your offer is pleasant and charming
And we don’t give a damn on your fuckin’ advance,
Oh the wee bitter morning we had run to chance
For the Queen had no scruples to send us to France,
Where we would get shot without mourning“

„Oh no“, said the sergeant, „I’ll have no such chat,
And I neither will take it from Spouky nor Brad
For if you insult me with one ‘nother word,
I’ll chop your heads off in the mourning!“
But Arthur and I, well we soon took the odds
And we gave them no chance to lunge out their own swords,
When our whacking shellalaghs came over their heads
And paid them right well in the morning

And as for the drummer, we rifled his pouch
And we made a football of his row-dee-dow-dow
And into the ocean, to rock and to row,
We bade him a tedious returning
As for the old rapiers that hung by their side
We flung them as far as we could in the tide
„To the devil I bid you“, said Arthur McBride,
„To temper your steel in the morning“

I had a first cousin called Arthur McBride
He and I went a-walking down by the seaside
A-viewin’ for pleasure and what might betide
For the weather was pleasant and charming
And for recreation we took on a tramp
And we met sergeant Harper and corporal Cramp
And a little wee drummer who rose up the camp
With his row-dee-dow-dow in the morning,
With his row-dee-dow-dow in the morning