Contemporary: Red Hair Mary
Red Haired Mary
by Sean McCarthy, 1950s
One verse
and chorus
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.rm (206K)
Red Haired Mary is performed by Axel the Sot
Notes: In the songbook titled:
The Road to Song: Sean McCarthy, His Songs, Their Music and Story, (pub
Clo Duanaire, Cork Ireland, 1983) Sean wrote the following notes:
The young farmer, walked tall and proud,
alnogside the big Spanish Donkey. Sparks from his large hobnail boots looked
and
sounded like fireworks at a Rose of Tralee Festival. Mary walked barefoot,
along
the sogt edge of the Dingle road, her long red hair streaming like a crimson
kite in the autumn wind. They came together at the bend of the road, a mile
outside the town.
John Reagan's heifers, which I was driving to
market, were bellowing and looking for water, so I passed them in a hurry. I
saw
the tall young farmer, and the Red Haired girl, alter though fighting a
gallant
battle, against great odds, outside Murphy's Pub. A battle that encompassed
the
Donkey, the Law, Mary's father, her brother, several inlaws, and of course,
the
Tall Farmer.
The victors? why love, of course, instant love.
Red Haired Mary, and her tall man, walked into the autumn eve sunshine, with
the
big spanish ass braying in approval. It was
ten years later that I wrote the song. The song tells all: The fight, the
short
courtship, the donkey's contribution, and of course, the happy ending. The
Wolfe
Tones and Danny Doyle were two of the first to make their story famous byt
scores of other singers have sung the donkey's praises as well.
Sometimes now, when I fiddle with juke boxes in
New York, Liverpool or London, I see Red Haired Mary in the titles. The song
is
being sung by young people that I never met, and it gives me a great feeling
to
know that Red Mary is known world wide.
As I was going to the Faire of Dingle,
One fine morning last July,
And walking down the road before me,
A red-haired girl I chanced to spy.
Come ride with me, my red-hair maiden,
My donkey, he can carry two.
She looked at me, her eyes a-twinklin'
And her cheeks a rosy hue.
Chorus
Keep your hands off Red Haired Mary,
Her and I will soon be wed.
We'll see a priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in a marriage bed.
Chorus...
Now when we reached the town of Dingle,
I took her hand to say goodbye.
When a tinker, he stepped up beside me,
And belted me in my left eye.
Chorus...
Well I was feelin kinda peevish,
My poor old eye felt sad and sore,
When I tapped him gently with my hobnails
And he flew back to Murphy's door.
Chorus...
Well he galloped off to find his brothers,
The tallest men I e'er did meet,
When he tapped me gently with his knuckles,
And I was minus two front teeth.
Chorus...
Now a pealer, he came round the corner,
Said, "Young man, you done broke the law."
When my donkey kicked him in the kneecaps
And he fell down and broke his jaw.
Chorus...
Well the red hair girl, she kept a'smiling,
"Young man, I'll come with you," she said.
We'll forget the priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed.
Keep your hands off Red Haired Mary,
Her and I will soon be wed.
We'll forget the priest this very morning,
Tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed.