Irish Lyrics: Orange and the Green

[Ernie Garner]

THE ORANGE AND THE GREEN

Chorus:

Oh it is the biggest mixup
That you have ever seen.
Me father he was Orange,
And me mother she was Green.

Oh my father was and Ulster man
Broad Protestant was he.
My mother was a Catholic girl,
Fromn County Court was she.
They were married in two churches,
Lived happily enough.
Until the day that I was born
And things got rather tough.

Baptized by father Reilly,
I was rushed away by car.
To be made a little Orange man,
Me father's shinin' star.
I was christened David Anthony,
But still in spite of that.
To my father I was William
While my mother called me Pat

With my mother every sunday,
To Mass I'd proudly stroll.
Then after that the Orange lot,
Would try to save my soul.
For both sides tried to claim me,
But I was smart because,
I played the flute or played the harp
Dependin' where I was.

One day me ma's relations,
Came 'round to visit me.
Just as my father's kinfolk,
Were all sittin' down to tea.
We tried to smooth things over,
But they all began to fight.
And me bing strictly neutral,
I bashed everyone in sight.

Now my parents never could agree,
About my type of school,
My learnin' was all done at home,
That's why I'm such a fool.
They both pass on God rest 'em,
But left me caught between.
That awful color problem,
Of the Orange and the Green.