Lyrics and Chords

Come Back Paddy Reilly

The lyrics to Come Back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff were written by Irish songwriter Percy French.

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The song is about French’s driver who had emigrated to Scotland.

The aptly named Irish singer Paddy Reilly performs this song with the Dubliners in the key E.

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He puts a capo on the fourth fret and plays in C shapes.

Louise Morrissey performs the song in C Major. Brendan O’Dowda sings it in G.

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The  

D 

Garden of  

D7 

Eden has  

G 

vanished, they  

D 

say

 

But I  

Bm 

know the  

A7 

lie of it  

D 

still;

 

Just  

D 

turn to the  

D7 

left at the  

G 

bridge of Fin

D 

ea

 

And stop when half  

A7 

way to Coote  

D 

Hill.

 

‘Tis  

G 

there I will find it, I  

F#m 

know sure e

Bm 

nough

 

When  

A 

fortune has  

E7 

come to me  

A 

call,

 

Oh the  

D 

grass it is  

D7 

green around  

G 

Ballyjames

D 

duff

 

And the blue sky is  

A 

over it  

D 

all.

 

And  

G 

tones that are tender and  

F#m 

tones that are gruff

 

Are  

A 

whispering over the sea,

A7 

 

“Come  

D 

back, Paddy  

D7 

Reilly to  

G 

Ballyjames

D 

duff

 

Come home, Paddy  

A 

Reilly, to  

D 

me.”

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

My mother once told me that when I was born

The day that I first saw the light,

I looked down the street on that very first morn

And gave a great crow of delight.

Now most newborn babies appear in a huff,

And start with a sorrowful squall,

But I knew I was born in Ballyjamesduff

And that’s why I smiled on them all.

The baby’s a man, now he’s toil-worn and tough

Still, whispers come over the sea,

“Come back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff

Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me.

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

The night that we danced by the light of the moon,

Wid Phil to the fore wid his flute,

When Phil threw his lip over “Come Again Soon,

He’s dance the foot out o’ yer boot!

The day that I took long Magee by the scruff

For slanderin’ Rosie Kilrain,

Then, marchin’ him straight out of Ballyjamesduff,

Assisted him into a drain.

Oh, sweet are the dreams, as the dudeen I puff,

Of whisperings over the sea,

Come back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff

Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me.

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

I’ve loved the young women of every land,

That always came easy to me;

Just barrin’ the belles of the Black-a-moor brand

And the chocolate shapes of Feegee.

But that sort of love is a moonshiny stuff,

And never will addle me brain,

For the bells will be ringin’ in Ballyjamesduff

For me and me Rosie Kilrain!

And through all their glamour, their gas and their guff

A whisper comes over the sea,

“Come back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff

Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me.”

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

I’ve struck oil at last! I’ve struck work, and I vow

I’ve struck some remarkable clothes,

I’ve struck a policeman for sayin’ that now,

I’d go back to my beautiful Rose.

The belles they may blarney, the boys they may bluff

But this I will always maintain,

No place in the world like Ballyjamesduff

No girl like Rosie Kilrain.

I’ve paid for my passage, the sea may be rough

But borne on each breeze there will be,

Come back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff

Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me.”

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

Come Back Paddy main page
Recordings
Lyrics and chords

Links to other songs by Percy French
Mountains of Mourne
Abdul Abulbul Amir
Come Back Paddy Reilly
McBrean’s Heifer
Phil the Fluther’s Ball

Percy French - the songwriter