Collection of Irish Song Lyrics
Leyden Girls O
Copyright: 2001
I wrote this for Margaret and Helen Leyden. The story is based on the truth.
Back in olden times
when the Irish had a passing
They'd empty out the parlor
and wake them in their home
they had a nice supply
of food and drinks there
for the tasting
and they'd open up the doors and the mourners they would come
CHORUS
Oh those Leyden girls were Irish
they were daring they were risky
They'd put there saddest faces on
and wear black Irish lace
They'd say a quick prayer for the corpse
and then drink Irish whiskey
and they wouldn't know a soul
dead or living in the place
The first thing every morning they would check the local paper
looking for an Irish name
amongst the fresh deceased
and when they'd see a Murphy or O'Toole
they'd plan their caper
and they'd mark their social calendar for a mortuary feast
The girls were most excited when
the paper came on Thursday
They'd thank their lucky stars above
to see an Irish name
With refrigeration what is was
they'd wake your man on Friday
well a girl without a weekend date
well that's an awful shame CHORUS
When death would strike the upper crust
a shaker or a mover
they'd rent a horse and carriage
to take them to the door
the risk was oh so very great that they would be discovered
so they'd roll their veils
down o're their face
and drink whiskey through a straw CHORUS
The girls had such a social life
that they would never wed
this social life was guananteed
with the next fatality
they'd make sure the drinks
were cold and stiff in honor of the dead
and they'd tip the corpse a dollar
for his hospitality
