The Town Of Ballybay, lyrics and guitar chords
And banjo / mandolin tab. written by Tommy Makem [ songs ] to the tune of ''The Limerick Races'' . Tommy Makem And Liam Clancy covered another great ballad written by Monaghan resident Patrick Kavanagh called On Raglan Road . Patsy Watchorn of The Dubliners does a great version also. The song is about a woman in Ballybay Co. Monaghan Ireland. Seamus Moore also recorded the song.
[C]In the town of Ballybay, there was a lassie [G7]dwelling
I[C] knew her very well and her [G7]story's well worth [C]telling
Her father kept a [G7]still and he [C]was a good dis[G7]tiller
But [C]when she took to the [Am]drink, well the[C] devil wouldn't [G7]fill her
Chorus:
[C]Ring-a-ding-a-[Am]dong, [C]ring-a-ding-a-[G7]daddy-o
[C]Ring-a-ding-a-[Am]dong, [G]whack fol the [C]daddy o
She had a wooden leg that was hollow down the middle
She used to tie a string on it and play it like a fiddle
She fiddled in the hall and she fiddled in the alleyway
She didn't give a damn, for she had to fiddle anyway
She said she couldn't dance, unless she had her wellie on
But 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
She had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry
She was courted night and day, but still she wouldn't marry
But then she fell in love with a fellow with a stammer
When he tried to run away, well she hit him with a hammer
She had children up the stairs, she had children by the byre
And another ten or twelve, sitting roaring by the fire
She fed them on potatoes and on soup she made with nettles
And lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettle
She led a sheltered life, eating porridge and black pudding
And she terrorized her man, until he died quite sudden
And when her husband died, well she wasn't very sorry
She rolled him in a bag and she threw him in a quarry
I[C] knew her very well and her [G7]story's well worth [C]telling
Her father kept a [G7]still and he [C]was a good dis[G7]tiller
But [C]when she took to the [Am]drink, well the[C] devil wouldn't [G7]fill her
Chorus:
[C]Ring-a-ding-a-[Am]dong, [C]ring-a-ding-a-[G7]daddy-o
[C]Ring-a-ding-a-[Am]dong, [G]whack fol the [C]daddy o
She had a wooden leg that was hollow down the middle
She used to tie a string on it and play it like a fiddle
She fiddled in the hall and she fiddled in the alleyway
She didn't give a damn, for she had to fiddle anyway
She said she couldn't dance, unless she had her wellie on
But 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
She had lovers by the score, every Tom and Dick and Harry
She was courted night and day, but still she wouldn't marry
But then she fell in love with a fellow with a stammer
When he tried to run away, well she hit him with a hammer
She had children up the stairs, she had children by the byre
And another ten or twelve, sitting roaring by the fire
She fed them on potatoes and on soup she made with nettles
And lumps of hairy bacon that she boiled up in the kettle
She led a sheltered life, eating porridge and black pudding
And she terrorized her man, until he died quite sudden
And when her husband died, well she wasn't very sorry
She rolled him in a bag and she threw him in a quarry
The town of Ballybay banjo tab
