[G]It was there I learned readin' and [D]writin'
At Dick[G] Croly's where I went to[C] school,
And 'twas[G] there
I learned [G7]howlin and [C]fightin'
[Am]with my[G] school master[D7] Mister O'[G]Toole,,[D]
Him and[G] me we had many
a [D]scrimmage,
and [G]devil a copy I [C]wrote,
there was [G]ne'er a goss[G7]oon in the [C]village,
[Am]dared [G]tread
on the [D7]tail of my [G]coat.
CHORUS
Mush, mush, mush, turaliady,
Sing mush, mush, mush, turalia,
There was ne'er a gossoon in the village
dared tread on the tail of my coat.
Oh 'twas there I learned all my courtin',
Many lessons I took in the art;
Till Cupid, the blackguard, while sportin',
An
arrow drove straight thro' my heart.
Molly O'Connor, she lived just forninst me,
And tender lines to her I wrote,
If
you dare say on hard word again her,
I'll tread on the tail of your coat.
But a blackguard called Mickey Maloney,
came and stole her affections away,
For he'd money and I had'nt any,
So
I sent him a challenge next day.
In the evening we met at the woodbine,
The shannon we crossed in a boat,
And I lathered
him with my shillelah,
for he trod on the tail of my coat.
Oh, my fame went abroad thro' the nation
and folks came a flocking to see
And they cried out without hesitation,
"You're
a fightin' man, Billy McGee."
I have claned out the Finegan faction,
And I've licked all the Murphys afloat,
If you're
in for a row or a ruction,
Just tread on the tail of my coat.
