The Light Horse

Melody -

Come all ye airy bachelors,
A warning take by me
Give over your wild ramblin'
And shun bad company.
I lived as happy as a prince,
When I was in the North.
And the first of my misfortunes
Was to 'list in the Light Horse.

2. Now it being a Thursday morn
To Galway I did go,
Meeting with a small officer
Which proved my overthrow;
I met with Sergeant Atkinson
In the market going down,
And says he: "Young man,
Would you enlist to be a Light Dragoon?"

3. "O no, kind sir, a soldier's life
With me would not agree,
Nor neither will I bind myself
Down from my liberty.
I live contented at my ease,
My mind does tell me so,
So fare thee well, I'm just
Going down my shuttle for to throw."

4. "So are you in a hurry now
Or are you going away,
Or won't you stand and listen
To those words I'm going to say;
Or do you live far from this place,
The same I'd wish to know,
Your name, kind sir, now if you please,
Give me before you go.?"

5. "O, then, I am in a hurry,
And my dwelling is not far,
My place of habitation
Lies six miles behind Armagh;
Charles Egan is my name,
From Armagh town I came
I ne'er intend to do a crime
That I should deny my name."

6. He says: "Now Cousin Charlie,
Perhaps you might do worse,
Now leave your native country
And 'list in the Black Horse";
And with all his kind persuasiveness
With him I did agree
And I left my native country boys,
And fought for liberty.

7. Farewell unto my father, dear,
Likewise my sisters three
Farewell unto my mother,
Her kind face I ne'er will see;
As I ride down through Armagh town,
They all run in my mind
So farewell unto my country, boys,
And the girl I left behind.