If It Weren't For The Irish

Written for: Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1947)
Lyric: Ralph Blane
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1947
Original publisher: Harry Warren Music, Inc.

Verse 1:

They used to sing of "Lanigan's Ball,"
And sing of "Branigan's Band;"
Aye, "Lanigan's Ball," I like to recall,
And "Branigan's Band" was grand;
They used to sing of "Barney McCoy,"
They'd even sing a song about "Pat Malloy;"
They'd sing a song of joy,
Each Irish girl and boy.

Chorus 1:

If it weren't for the Irish, you'd have to forsake
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" and "Finnegan's wake,"
And "My Wild Irish Rose" that you sing louder.
Then the "Overalls in Missus Murphy's chowder."
If it weren't for the Irish, you'd lose from the start,
Your Father's shillalah and "Peg O' My Heart."
There would be no stew the Mulligans once made,
There would be no Saint Patrick's Day parade;
There would be no pickin' shamrock, no "Wearin' of the green,"
And there'd be no one to ever take you home again Kathleen.
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be
A Johnny McCormack, a "Mother McCree;"
When your Irish eyes are smilin', I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Verse 2:

They used to sing "The Mulligan Guard,"
The Mulligan Guard did, too.
"The Mulligan Guard" was never as hard
As makin' Mulligan stew.
They sang a song of daughter and son,
To sing of anyone was lots of fun;
They even sang 'em sad,
Each Irish lass and lad.

Chorus 2:

If it weren't for the Irish, there'd be no "Paddy's Pigs,"
No "Bringin' Up Father," no "Maggie and Jiggs."
And no whiskey stills or Guinness stout a-bubblin',
And no Abbey Players actin' in Ould Dublin!
If it weren't for the Irish, you'd find as before:
No Corn Beef and Cabbage and no Dinty Moore.
You would never hear of "Paddy Duffy's Cart,"
There would be no team of Harrigan and Hart,
There'd be no Kilkenny kittens, no setter dogs to sire,
And no cow for Miss O'Leary, and no big Chicago fire!
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be
A ghost or a goblin or wailing Banshee;
As for ghosties and for goulies, I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Additional lyrics:

Verse 3:

They used to sing of "Molly Malone,"
Of Molly Malone they'd sing.
And when they tired of "Molly Malone,"
Saint Mary's bells would ring.
They sang an Irish lullaby
Called "Torra-Lorra-Lorra, Loora-Lae";
It warmed up, from the start,
The cockles of each heart.

Chorus 3:

If it weren't for the Irish, or so I am told;
There'd be no "Phil the Fluter" and no "Crock of Gold."
There would be no Blackthorn stick for your protection,
No cop upon the beat to give ya your direction.
If it weren't for the Irish, I'm led to suspect:
The Spanish Armada might not have been wrecked;
And the pages of our history would pale,
How the Irish do exaggerate that tale!
"Pinafore" and "The Mikado" might well have been a loss,
If Gilbert hadn't had a Sullivan to put it all across.
If it weren't for the Irish, there'd be no "Blarney Stone,"
No "Rose of Killarney," no "Molly Malone."
And the shows of George M. Cohan, I would never see them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Chorus 4:

If it weren't for the Irish, you'd never recall:
Political clambakes at Tammany Hall.
You would never know Al Smith in all his glory,
Or the Leprechaun of Erin's fairy story.
If it weren't for the Irish from Emerald Isle,
The "Brogue" would be lost and ye'd cross not a stile;
Not a Kerry Dancer dancing there would care,
There would be no London Derry "Derriere!"
You would be without policemen enforcin' ev'ry law,
There would be no Irish Sweepstakes and no George Bernard Shaw!
If it weren't for the Irish, there never would be,
Those tenors a-moanin' "The Rose Of Tralee."
And those tears of Sweet Comeallyes, we would never shed them,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish,
If it weren't for the Irish in me.

Chorus 5:

If it weren't for the Irish, with pick and with spade,
No trains would be running, no ties would be laid;
By the Kelly's and their many Irish neighbors,
By McCarthy's and McGinty's, no, "Be Jabers!"
If it weren't for the Irish, there'd be no Jauntin' Car
To carry the drunks home, they'd stay where they are.
And there wouldn't be much fun in Donnygall,
No Shenanagans "A'tall, a'tall, a'tall!"
If it weren't for Old Ireland, there'd by no Notre Dame,
And the common white potato never would have had a name!
So, three cheers for the Irish who left County Cork,
And crossed the Atlantic to settle New York.
Though they say that I'm a Colleen, I would never be one,
If it weren't for the Irish (in me father and me mother!),
If it weren't for the Irish (in me sister and me brother!),
If it weren't for the Irish in me!