And its by the hush, Me Boys And be sure to hold your noise And listen to poor Paddy's sad narration I was by hunger pressed And by poverty distressed So I took an oath to leave the Irish nation
So I sold me horse and plow Sold me sheep, me pigs and sow Me little farm of land and I we parted And me sweetheart Beth Magee I'm afeared I'll never see For I left her on that mornin' broken hearted
And here's you Boys, now take my advice To Americay I'll have you not be goin' For there's nothin' here but war Where the murderin' cannons roar And I wish I was back home In dear old Ireland
So meself and a hundred more To Americay sailed o'er Our fortunes to be makin' we were thinkin' But when we got to Yankee-Land They stuck a musket in me hands Sayin' "Paddy, you must go and fight for Lincoln"
General Meagher to us said "If you get shot, or you lose your leg Every mother's son of you will get a pension" But in the war I lost my leg And all I got's a wooden peg Oh Me Boys, it is the truth to you I mention
Chorus
Now, I'd have thought meself in luck To be fed an Indian buck And in Ireland the land that I delight in But by the Devil I do say Curse Americay For I'm sure I've had enough of your hard fightin'