Lyrics and Chords

Arthur McBride

The lyrics to Arthur McBride tell the story of two cousins who fight off a recruiting sergeant after he tries to recruit them for the army. It’s an old Irish anti-war song.

Arthur McBride
Paul Brady ‘definitive’ version
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Lyrics and Chords Print version

The lyrics are presented here as performed by Paul Brady, the singer who has become most closely associated with the song in recent years.

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The chords are given in the key of G Major, the key used by Brady, who usually performs the song using an open G chord tuning.

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Arthur McBride Lyrics and chords - Paul Brady version

 

Oh me  

G 

and my cousin one  

Em 

Arthur 

 

McBride

 

As we  

C 

went 

 

a-wal

G 

king down  

Am 

by the sea

C 

side,

 

Now  

G 

mark what  

C 

followed and  

G 

what did  

Em 

betide

 

For it  

G 

being on Christmas morn

D 

ing.

 

And  

G 

for recreation we  

Em 

went on a tramp

 

And we met  

C 

Sergeant 

 

Nap

G 

per and  

Am 

Corporal 

 

 

C 

Cramp.

 

And the li

G 

ttle wee  

C 

drummer 

 

in

G 

tending to  

Em 

camp

 

For the  

G 

day being pleasant and cha

D 

rming

G 

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, good morning” the Sergeant did cry.”

“And the same to you gentlemen,” we did reply

Intending no harm as we meant to pass by

For it being on Christmas morning.

But says he “My fine fellows if you will enlist

It’s ten guineas in gold I will slip in your fists

And a crown in the bargain for to kick up the dust

And drink the King’s health in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For a soldier he leads a very fine life

And he always is blessed with a charming young wife,

And he pays all his debts without sorrow and strife

And always lives pleasant and charming.

And a soldier he always is decent and clean

In the finest of clothing he’s constantly seen

While other poor fellows look dirty and mean

And sup on thin gruel in the morning.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Says Arthur, “I wouldn’t be proud of your clothes

For you’ve only the lend of them, as I suppose,

And you dare not change them one night for you know

If you do you’ll be flogged in the morning.

And although that we are single and free,

We take great delight in our own company

And we have no desire strange faces to see

Although that your offers are charming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And we have no desire to take your advance,

All hazards and dangers we barter on chance.

For you would have no scruples for to send us to France

Where we would get shot without warning.”

“Oh no,” says the Sergeant, “I’ll have no such chat

And I neither will take it from spalpeen or brat

For if you insult me with one other word

I’ll cut off your heads in the morning.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then Arthur and I we soon drew our odds

And we scarce gave them time for to draw their own blades

When a trusty shillelagh came over their heads

And bade them take that as fair warning.

And their old rusty rapiers that hung by their sides

We flung them as far as we could in the tide

“Now take them out, devils,” cried Arthur McBride,

“And temper their edge in the morning.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the little wee drummer we flattened his pouch

And we made a football of his rowdy dow dow

Threw it in the tide for to rock and to roll

And bade it a tedious returning.

And we having no money, paid them off in cracks

And we paid no respect to their two bloody backs,

But we lathered them there like a pair of wet sacks

And left them for dead in the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so to conclude and to finish disputes

We obligingly asked if they wanted recruits,

For we were the lads who would give them hard clouts

And bid them look sharp in the morning.

Oh me and my cousin one Arthur McBride

As we went a-walking down by the seaside,

Now mark what followed and what did betide

For it being on Christmas morning.

Arthur McBride
Paul Brady ‘definitive’ version
Videos
Lyrics and Chords
Lyrics and Chords Print version