The wearin’ o’ the green (Granville Bantock)
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- Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-18). Score information: Letter, 10 pages, 224 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The wearin’ o’ the green
Composer: Granville Bantock
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong, Folksong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1910 Breitkopf & Härtel
Description: Irish
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
O Paddy dear, an’ did you hear the news that’s goin’ round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow on Irish ground:
Saint Patrick’s day no more we’ll keep, his colours can’t be seen,
For there’s a cruel law again’ the wearin’ o’ the green.
I met with Napper Tandy, and he took me by the hand,
And said, “How’s poor ould Ireland, and how does she stand?”
She’s the most distressful country that ever yet was seen,
They’re hanging men and women there for wearin’ o’ the green.
Oh! if the colour we must wear is England’s cruel red,
Sure Ireland’s sons will ne’er forget the blood that they have shed.
You may take the shamrock from your hat, and cast it on the sod,
But ’t will take root and flourish still, tho’ under foot ’tis trod.
When law can stop the blades of grass from growing as they grow;
And when the leaves in summertime their verdue cease to show,
Then I will change the colour, that I wear in my caubeen;
But till that time, plase God, I’ll stick to wearin’ o’ the green.
Traditional