I Am Irish By Birth
Air. I won't hear old Ireland run down
I will sing you a song now
In praise of old Erin,
Where many a poet
Has wrote in her praise.
But I am not a poet
And have little learning,
Nor never in public
My voice ever raised.
As I sat by the fire
I thought on my country,
Her warriors and statesmen
Still living on earth.
I then thought with pleasure
And composed at my leisure,
I am proud for to own
I was Irish by birth.
Chorus
I hope that the Shamrock
And long may it flourish,
Success to those heros
Now alive on this earth.
Heres to you Erin
The land of brave courage,
I am proud for to boast
That I am Irish by birth.
Now our present Lord Woolsey
The pride of your army,
How he beat down the [Zulys]
And marched through Egypt's hot sands.
Although by hard fighting
His foes he soon conquered,
For he was assisted
With brave Irish sons.
Just look out in Egypt
How he led that great victory,
[Tele-bebers] great charge
Was it not valiant and true.
With steel brightly shinning
Those heros marched forward,
And showed to the world
What the Irish could do.
Now our bold Michael Davitt
A gem of our country,
He has tried all his might
Auld Ireland to free.
He speaks of our oppression
For many past centuries,
By tyrannic landlords
Which in print you may see.
His lectures in public
He addresses to thousands,
His mind he explains
And he fears not their laws.
This body of land league
He firmly founded,
I hope in the future
Will stand to our cause.
There's our bold Mr. Parnell
Is still fighting daily,
To have our own laws
Friendship and peace.
Assisted by Quinn
And that bold Mr. Haley,
All we want is our freedom
Then trouble will cease.
So let Irish join hands
And be loyal as brothers,
And still praise those heros
Now struggling on earth.
I hope fortune will favor
Them some day or other,
And bring republican laws
To the land of my birth.
