Arthur McBride

Traditional

	C	Am
Oh, me	and my cousin one	Arthur McBride

	F	C	Dm7	G7
As w	e went a-	walking down by	the sea	side

	C	F	C
Mark n	ow what f	ollowed and wh	at might betide

	C	G7
For it b	ein’ on Christmas	morning

	C	Am
Now f	or recreation we w	ent on a tramp

	F	C	Dm7	G7
And we m	et Sergeant	Napper and	Corporal	Ramp

	C	F	C
And the	little wee dr	ummer int	ending to camp

	C	G7	C
For the d	ay being pleasant and	charm	ing

	C	Am
“Good	morning, good morning,” the S	ergeant he cried

	F	C	Dm7	G7
“And the	same to you g	entlemen,” w	e did re	ply

	C	F	C
In	tending no h	arm as we m	eant to pass by

	C	G7
For it b	ein’ on Christmas	morning

	C	Am
But says	he, “My fine fellows, if y	ou will enlist

	F	C	Dm7	G7
It’s ten	guineas in	gold I will	slip into your	fists

	C	F	C
And a	crown in the b	argain for to k	ick up the dust

	C	G7	C
And dr	ink the King’s health in the	morn	ing

	C	Am
“For a	soldier he leads a v	ery fine life

	F	C	Dm7	G7
He	always is	blessed with a	charming young	wife

	C	F	C
And	he pays all his d	ebts without s	orrow or strife

	C	G7
And he	always lives pleasant and	charming

	C	Am
And a	soldier he always is d	ecent and clean

	F	C	Dm7	G7
In the	finest of	clothing he’s	constantly	seen

	C	F	C
While	other poor f	ellows look d	irty and mean

	C	G7	C
And s	up on thin gruel in the	morn	ing.”

	C	Am
But says	Arthur, “I wouldn’t be pr	oud of your clothes

	F	C	Dm7	G7
For you’ve	only the l	end of them,	as I supp	ose

	C	F	C
And you d	are not ch	ange them one n	ight, for you know

	C	G7
If you	do you’ll be flogged in the	morning

	C	Am
And	although that we are s	ingle and free

	F	C	Dm7	G7
We	take great	delight in our	own compan	y

	C	F	C
And we	have no des	ire strange pl	aces to see

	C	G7	C
Alth	ough that your offers are	charm	ing

	C	Am
“And we	have no desire to t	ake your advance

	F	C	Dm7	G7
All	hazards and	dangers we	barter on ch	ance

	C	F	C
For	you would have no scr	uple for to s	end us to France

	C	G7
Where w	e would get shot without	warning.”

	C	Am
“Oh n	o,” says the Sergeant, “I’ll h	ear no such chat

	F	C	Dm7	G7
And I	never will	take it from	snappy young br	ats

	C	F	C
For if y	ou ins	ult me with	one other word

	C	G7	C
I’ll c	ut off your heads in the	morn	ing.”

	C	Am
And then	Arthur and I we s	oon drew our odds

	F	C	Dm7	G7
And we	scarce gave them	time for to	draw their own bl	ades

	C	F	C
When a	trusty shill	elagh came	over their heads

	C	G7
And	bade them take that as fair	warning

	C	Am
And their	old rusty rapiers that h	ung by their sides

	F	C	Dm7	G7
We fl	ung them as	far as we	could in the t	ide

	C	F	C
“Now	take them out, d	evils,” cried	Arthur McBride

	C	G7	C
“And	temper their edge in the	morn	ing!

	C	Am
And the	little wee drummer we fl	attened his pouch

	F	C	Dm7	G7
And we	made a foot	bowl of his	rowdy-dowd-d	owd

	C	F	C
Threw	it in the t	ide for to r	ock and to roll

	C	G7
And	bade it a tedious re	turning

	C	Am
And we	having no money, paid th	em off in cracks

	F	C	Dm7	G7
And we	paid no resp	ect to their	two bloody	backs

	C	F	C
But we	lathered them th	ere like a p	air of wet sacks

	C	G7	C
And	left them for dead in the	morn	in

	C	Am
And so to	conclude and to f	inish disputes

	F	C	Dm7	G7
We ob	ligingly	asked if they	wanted recr	uits

	C	F	C
For we	were the l	ads who would g	ive them hard clouts

	C	G7	C
And	bid them look sharp in the	morn	ing

	C	Am
Oh, me	and my cousin one	Arthur McBride

	F	C	Dm7	G7
As w	e went a-	walking down by	the sea	side

	C	F	C
Mark n	ow what f	ollowed and wh	at might betide

	C	G7	C
For it b	ein’ on Christmas	morn	in