Oh me name
is McNamara
I'm the leader
of the band
Although we're
few in numbers
we're the finest
in the land
We play at
wakes and weddings
And at ev'ry
fancy ball
And when we
play to funerals
We play the
march from Saul
Oh the drums go
bang and the cymbals
clang and the horns
they blaze away
McCarthy pumps
the old bassoon
While I the pipes
do play
And Hennessey
Tennessee tootles
the flute
And the music is
somethin' grand
A credit to
old Ireland is
McNamara's band
Right now we are
rehearsing for a
very swell affair
The annual celebration
All the gentry
will be there
When General Grant
to Ireland came
he took me
by the hand
Says he:
I never saw the
likes of
McNamara's band
Oh the drums go
bang and the cymbals
clang and the horns
they blaze away
McCarthy pumps
the old bassoon
While I the pipes
do play
And Hennessey
Tennessee tootles
the flute
And the music is
somethin' grand
A credit to
old Ireland is
McNamara's band
Oh my name is
Uncle Yulius and
from Sweden
I did come
To play with
McNamara's band
and beat the
big bass drum
And when I march
along the street
the ladies think
I'm grand
They shout:
There's Uncle Yulius
playing with
an Irish band
Oh I wear a bunch
of shamrocks
and a uniform
of green
And I'm the funniest
looking Swede
that you have
ever seen
There's O'Briens
and Ryans
and Sheehans
and Meehans
They come from
Ireland but by
yimminy I'm the
only Swede in
McNamara's band
Oh the drums go
bang and the cymbals
clang and the horns
they blaze away
McCarthy pumps
the old bassoon
While I the pipes
do play
And Hennessey
Tennessee tootles
the flute
And the music is
somethin' grand
A credit to
old Ireland is
McNamara's band