'Oh, Mrs. McGrath,' the sergeant said 'Would you like to make a soldier out of your son Ted With a scarlett coat and a big cocked hat Oh, Mrs. McGrath, wouldn't you like that?'
Chorus: With your too-ri-a, fol-di-diddle-da, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a With your too-ri-a, fol-di-diddle-da, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
Now, Mrs. McGrath lived on the sea shore For the space of seven long years or more She spied a ship coming into the bay 'Here's my son Teddy, wisha clear the way'
Chorus
'Oh captain dear, where have you been Or have you been sailing on the Meditereen Have you any tidings of my son Ted Is the poor boy living or is he dead?'
Chorus
Then up came Ted without any legs And in their place, he had two wooden pegs She kissed him a dozen times or two 'Holy Moses, it isn't you'
Chorus
'Now were you drunk or were you blind When you left your two fine legs behind Or was it walking upon the say Wore your two fine legs from the knees away?'
Chorus
'No, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind When I left my two fine legs behind A big cannon ball on the fifth of May Tore my two fine legs from the knees away'
Chorus
'Oh, Teddy my boy,' the widow cried 'Your two fine legs were your mammy's pride Stumps of a tree wouldn't do at all Why didn't you run from the big cannon ball?'
Chorus
'All foreign wars I do proclaim Between Don John and the King of Spain I'd rather have my Teddy as he used to be Than the King of France and his whole navy'