Tonight we’re going to meet some lads Us girls are dressed up gaily We’ll all be dancing ‘til the dawn We’re going to the ceili
The lads they come from miles around From Ennis and Kilmaley To show us all their fancy steps We’re going to the ceili
They’re planning tunes on everything From pipes to ukulele It sounds so good you can’t sit down We’re dancing at the ceili
All the boys we loved so well So handsome young and charming They’re in New York and Boston now They should be home here farming My own true love has sailed away To be an endless rover ‘Cos times are tough and he must leave To start a new life over
He writes me letters every week To say how much he’s slaving And he promises that he’ll be back Before the hay needs saving But it’s hard to love somebody That you’re not in touch with daily So I’m looking for somebody new Tonight down at the ceili
The winter nights are long and hard And time goes by so slowly I wish my true lover he was here And in his arms I’d roll He’d whisper tender words of love to me And kiss my lips so sweetly And quickly I’d surrender to his manly charms completely
He writes me letters every week To say how much he’s slaving And he promises that he’ll be back Before the hay needs saving But it’s hard to love somebody That you’re not in touch with daily So I’m looking for somebody new Tonight down at the ceili
I hope I meet someone tonight Who’ll make my heart beat fast A handsome man with laughing eyes Who smiles as he walks past And when they play an old-time waltz He’ll twirl me round the floor And promise me that I will be His girl forever more
His girl forever more His girl forever more Who’ll promise me that I will be His girl forever more
I’m somewhat in a bother That is really quite alarming I have two lads pursuing me And each of them is charming One of them is dark and poor One fair with lots of money I don’t know which one to choose The flower of the honey
What on earth am I to do It’s driving me half crazy Tonight I’ll make my mind up When I see them at the ceili
To be a poor man’s wife Will be a life of washing dishes While a rich man’s wife will surely have Great luxury and riches In comfort how I know It wouldn’t bee too hard to wallow And being poor is not much fun On which one should I follow
What on earth am I to do It’s driving me half crazy Tonight I’ll make my mind up When I see them at the ceili
I’ve been lucky I’ve found a lad Who’s handsome and a neighbour And me, I’ve met a decent man Whose friendship I will savour
And me I made my choice as well And in no way was it aisy But I’d rather have a man for love Than be a rich man’s lady
And that is how the story ends May true love never fail me We got ourselves three men tonight And we met them at the ceili