Click here to hear Jim Flanagan perform this song.
I am a young fellow who's easy and bold
In Castletown Corners I'm very well-known
In Newcastle West I've spent many's the note
With Kitty and Judy and Mary
My father rebuked me for being such a rake
For spending my time in such frolics and ways
But I ne'er could forget the good nature of Jane
Agus....
Me parents had raised me to shake and to hoe
To plow and to harrow to reap and to sow
But me heart being too airy to drop it so low
I took off on a high speculation
On paper and parchment they taught me to write
And in Euclid and grammer they opened my eyes
And in multiplication in truth I was bright
Agus...
To quarrel for riches I ne'er was inclined
For the greatest of misers must leave them behind
I'll purchase a cow that would never run dry
And I'll milk her by twisting her horns
John ... plenty of gold
And Devonshire's treasures are twenty times more
But he's laid on his back upon nettles and stone
Agus...
If I chance for to go the market at Croom
With me cock in me hat and me pipes in full tune
I'm welcomed at once and brought up to a room
Where Bacchus is sporting with Venus
There's Mary and Jane from the town of
And Kitty from ... and we're all on a spree
Such a combing of locks as there was about me
Agus...
If I chance for to go to town of ...
The girls all around me would flock on the square
Some give me whiskey and others sweet cakes
For to treat me unknown to their parents
There's one from ... and one from the Pike(?)
And another from ... me heart has beguiled
But being from the mountains her stockings were white
Agus...
There's some say I'm foolish and more say I'm wise
But being fond of the women was never a crime
For the son of King David had ten hundred wives
And his wisdom was highly regarded
I'll till of the garden and live at my ease
And each woman and child can partake of the same
If there's war in the cabin then themselves they may blame
Agus...
And now for the future I mean to be wise
And I'll send for the women that acted so kind
I'd marry them all on the morrow, by and by
If the clergy'd agree to the bargain
And when I am dead and my soul is at peace
These women will crowd for to cry at my wake
And their sons and their daughters will offer their prayers
To the Lord for the soul of their father
To buy Jim Flanagan's CD Anso is Ansud e-mail him at james.flanagan@usm.edu