Rose of Tralee-Christy Moore

Listen for a while, And I'll tell you the story, Of How I fell in love with The Rose Of Tralee,, It was about five o'clock in the morning, I was only after gettin' off the mail boat., I was walking down the North Wall, Minding me own business, With me suitcase under me arm, Sitting down every minute, 'Til a voice behind me went, Hello, hello, hello, Where do you think you're going, At this hour of the morning?,, I turned around, And who do you think was standin' behind me, Only the Rose of Tralee, And she wearin' a grand new blue Ban Gardaí's uniform, I thought she was a super, How's it going there Rose, Jasus girleen the last time I saw you, Was down below there in The Dome, Upstairs in the tent with Gaybo in the Pretty Polly, Tights, And all them beauty queens from, Tashkent, Istanbul, Bangkok and Liverpool, And... , How's she cuttin there Rose... , Can you account for your movements sez she, Ah Rose, there's no need to be like that, But I can give you all the movements you want, You'd better sharpen your pencil, You're goin' to be busy little woman, Christy's got a memory like a super-grass, I can remember things that never happened at all, ,, The first thing I can remember, Is the 7th of May 1945, At the back of Donnelly's Hollow, The night before, Pa Connolly drove the Roadstone lorry, Into the Seven Springs, And St. Brigid started rollin' out the Tintawn, Across the Curragh of Kildare, Then I woke up one morning, It was after gettin conscripted into the altar boys, I was ringin the bells and swingin the thurible, Sure the smell of the incense, Would remind you of the inside of an Arab's tent, And no sign of Ghaddafi nowhere, In those days Down in Newbridge Co. Kildare, An altar boy would get a pound for a funeral, Two pound for a wedding, And a good kick up in the arse, If he didn't put enough wine in the chaliceAt he early, Mass., Ah!"Ita Missa Est" says Rose, "Gloria Tibi Domine" says I, I didn't know you had to have the Latin, To get into Templemore, I love to hear the old bit of Latin, The old Tridentine, "Kyrie Eleison", I can't stand them Folk Masses, All them trendy priestsTrippin' over each other, To sing balladsAt half time in the Bingo, Sure the Nine First FridaysNever killed anyone,, Well! The next thing I knew, Rose, I was servin' me time to be, A corner boy up in the Curragh Camp, I was trying to teach the sheep how to talk Irish, Then I got a job selling lambs balls to mushroom, Farmers, That couldn't afford horseshite, One day I was walkin' across the Curragh of Kildare, And I fell into an officer's mess, I ended up in the F.C.A., Squarebashin' around the wet canteen, Until the commanding officer heard, That me Granny once confessed, To a fellow whose Sister's brother in law was, Married to a man whoseFirst cousin used to fill, Hot water bottles for Patrick SarsfieldBefore the, Battle of Clongorey, I had to go on the run.,, Gubu Gubu *Gubu Gubu,, I ran so fast thatI ended up in Paddington, A million miles away from The Land Of saints and, Scholars, I was,, Diggin' Footins Scrapin' Pots, Pullin' cable Startin' Drotts, Boilin' Kettles Makin' Tea, Diggin' Deep Rose and Thrown Away,, I was a disposable PaddyServin' me time to be a, Co-Pilot on a kango hammer in Shepherd's Bush, Doin' 86 MPH on a JCB down the Kilburn High Road, When the SPG flagged me down and held me under the PTA, Until I got away and went underground with the Green, Murphy, One Thursday night I was headin' down the Hammersmith, Broadway, I met a friend of mine from Ballaghadereenin the Co., Roscommon, Who was a demolition expert - Georgian houses were his, Speciality, Any chance for a start?What would you know about, Demolition? (I've been well known to demolish a rake of, Large bottles), Well, Monday mornin' came, Myself, Roger Sherlock, Liam Farrell, Martin Byrnes, ,, Raymond Roland Tony Rohr, We was paintin' a door, We gave her six coats and three coats more- that was, Just the undercoat, The ganger was fond of a tune-thursday never came too, Soon, We were gettin' five pounds a day and all we could ate, But it's an awful job Tryin' to eat all day, To make a long story short, Rose, I went lookin' for digs, I went up and knocked at the door, this big English, Woman comes out, Took one look at me and she went, Get away from my door sez she, There'll be absolutely no blacks nor paddies gettin' in, Here.', So I let on I was a white South African, And I tried to join the British Army to better myself, I volunteered as sub-contractor buildin' houses with no, Doors nor handles on them, The recruiting officer says to me, 'What ye bin doin' lately then, Paddy?,, I was helpin' O'Brien to shift it Sir says I, Before that I was spreadin' the toxic all over the, Golden Vale, Helpin' Mr. Gallagher cover Stephen's Green in concrete, Sir, Helpin' Sam Stevenson block all the daylight out of, Dublin, Helpin' Dr. Smurfit relocate the Liffey, Helpin' Lord O'Reilly to count the golden beans, I was dolin' out the Diddly-Eye for Dr. Darragh, Puttin in the bugs for Cathaoirleach, Vacuum packin' T-Bone steaks for Larry Maith an Fear, Seekin' out the heart of the Green Core., Bejasus Paddy you're overqualified for the British Army, I'm afraid I'll have to deport you out of England., And he did... Total Exclusion,,, Here I am, RoseAr ais arís, This is some welcome for a returned emmigrant, Céad Míle Fáilte my arse, With your pioneer pin and your fáinneAnd your white, Star for not cursing, Jaysus, it would be more in your line togive me a lift, In the squad car into town, And she did.,, There wew were Cruisin' down Capel Street in the White, Squad, Looking for the Early Morning House, Will ye look Rose There's Paddy Slattery., 'You're welcome home, Christy', says Paddy, Big Slate! , 'I suppose you and your girlfriend are looking for a, Drink', Well, off came the cap. She flung it into the back seat, Of the squad, And in with her like a bat out a hell (left right, left, Right), 'I'll have a Brandy with a small drop of Port I never, Drink pints when I'm on duty', Brandy and Port! , T'was like throwin' water into a barrel of sawdust, She lowered it up andof course... No wallet, Roll on the Holy Hour', says I, I'll see you tonight sez she 'twill be my twist',, Ladies and Gentlemen there I was outside the GPO waitin, For The most beautiful Kerry woman in the whole wide, World, Here she comes, Holy Mother of Sweet Divine Jesus in, Heaven would you ever look... Sashaying down, The Boulevardin her Doc's and her 501's, Hey Rose!... Over here... , 'What's on your mind big fellah' says she to me, (I was wearin me platforms), I wouldn't mind a bit of a dance, Rose, She took me to a discoin the Gardai club in Harcourt, Street, Le Baton Rouge... A tidy little spot up Harcourt, Street, Watch out for the quadruple parking, bald tyres and no, Tax discs, In there... Wall to wall moustaches, gay bikers on acid, Myself and the Rose of Tralee danced the night away, Until about five O'clock in the morning when says she, To me, 'Fancy comin' back to my place then Lofty?', Does a bear shite in the woods?, Away with us, me hangin out of her on the back of the, Honda50, Up through Rathmines and Rathgar into Ranelagh, ,, Pullin into the 24-7 open 9-11, 6 days a week, Two donor kebabs and the Leinster Leader, Up to her place thenTwo up, two down, , She pulled the cork out of the Blue Nun, And I got sick all over the Rottweiler, And she put some music onLovely new CD.,,, Daniel, "Oh then fare thee well sweet Donegal, The Roses and Gweedore", Oh Rose. Oh Daniel, Ah Here, I suppose a rasher sandwichis out of the, Question?,, That's how I met up with The Roseof Tralee