Orange And Green.

The Orange and the Green.

Lyrics: A humorous Irish folk song, written by Liverpudlian Anthony Murphy, about a man whose father was a Protestant (“Orange”) and whose mother was a Catholic (“Green”). It describes the man’s trials as the product of religious intermarriage and how “mixed up” he became, as a result of such an upbringing.
Vocals: Irish folk singer and guitarist, Dublin born Paddy Reilly.

The Orange and the Green

Oh, me father was an Ulster man, proud Protestant was he.
Me mother was a Catholic girl, from county Cork came she.
They had married in two churches, lived happily enough,
Until the day that I was born and things got rather rough.
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen.
Me father, he was Orange and me mother, she was Green.
Oh, Baptized by Father Riley, I got rushed away by car,
To be made a little Orange man, me father’s shining star.
I was christened “David Anthony”, but still, in spite of that,
To me father, I was “William”, while my mother called me “Pat”.
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen.
Me father, he was Orange and me mother, she was Green.
Up to Mass every Sunday, with Ma I’d proudly stroll.
And after that, the Orange lodge would try to save me soul.
Well I’d go along with both of them for I was smartly called.
I’d play me harp or play me flute, depending where I was.
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen.
Me father, he was Orange and me mother, she was Green.
Now, when I’d sing them rebel songs ‘twould fill my mother’s joy.
My father he’d leap up and shout “Look here William me boy”,
“That’s quite enough of that lot!”, he’d then toss’ me a coin,
And have me thinking bally on the heroes of the Boyne.
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen.
Me father, he was Orange and me mother, she was Green.
Well they’ve both passed on, God rest ’em, and left me caught between,
The awful colour problem of the Orange and the Green.
Oh it is the biggest mix up that you have ever seen.
Me father, he was Orange and me mother, she was Green.
END