Lyrics and Chords

The Old Woman from Wexford

The lyrics to The Old Woman From Wexford tell the story of a man who outwits his wife after she tries to kill him.

Old Woman from Wexford main page
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There are several versions to be found in different English speaking countries all over the world.

The chords are presented here in C Major, the key used by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in most of their performances of the song.

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In later years, when Paddy Clancy took the lead vocals, they performed the song in D Major.

Ronnie Drew and the Dubliners played it in A Major. Canadian folk rock group perform the song in E Major.

Use the key converter to convert the chords to any key you want.

The Old Woman from Wexford Lyrics and Chords

 

C 

There was an old woman from Wexford,

 

In Wexford  

G7 

town did  

C 

dwell.

 

She loved her  

F 

husband 

 

dearly

 

But a

G 

nother man twice as

F 

well.

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Chorus

 

With me

C 

rifah loora  

G7 

liddey 

 

ay

 

And me  

C 

rifah 

 

 

G7 

low-rel

C 

lay

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One day she went to the doctor

Some medicine for to find.

She says: “Doctor give me something

That’ll make me ould man blind.”

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Chorus

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“Oh, feed him eggs and marrow bones

And make him eat them all,

And it won’t be so very long after that

He won’t see you at all.”

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Chorus

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Now the doctor wrote a letter

And he signed with his hand,

And he sent it to the old man

Just to let him understand.

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Chorus

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So she fed him eggs and marrow bones

And made him eat them all,

And it wasn’t so very long after that

He couldn’t see the wall.

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Chorus

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“O,” says he “I’d go and drown myself

But that might be a sin.”

“Well,” says she “I’ll go along with you

And I’ll help to push you in.”

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Chorus

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The old woman she stepped back a bit

To run and push him in.

But the old man slyly stepped aside

And she went tumbling in

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Chorus

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Oh, how loudly did she roar

And how loudly did she bawl,

“Arrah sure will yer whisht ould woman

Sure I can’t see you at all.”

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Chorus

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She swam and swam and swam and swam

Till she reached the further brim.

The old man got a long, larch pole

And he pushed her further in.

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Chorus

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Now eggs are eggs and marrow bones

May make your old man blind,

But if you want to drown him

You must creep up close behind.

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

Chorus

Old Woman from Wexford main page
Videos
Lyrics and chords
Click here for print version