American Old Time Song Lyrics: 18 Lannigans Ball

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 18

LANNIGAN'S BALL.

In the town of Athol lived one Jimmy Lannigan,
He bathered away till be hadn't a pound;
His father died and made him a man again,
Left him a farm of ten acres of ground.
He gave a large party to all his relations,
That stood beside him when be went to the wall;
So if you but listen I'll make your eyes glisten
With the rows and the ructions at Lannigan's ball.

Chorus.
Whack, fallal, fallal, talladedy,
Whack, fallal, fallal, talladedy,
Whack, fallal, fallal, talladedy,
Whack, hurroo, for Lannigan's ball!

'Twas meself bad free invitations
For all the boys and girls I might ask:
In less than five minutes I'd fri'nds and relations,
Singing as merry as flies round the cask.
Kitty O'Harn, a nate little milliner,
Tipt me the wink, and ask'd me to call,
Whin I arrived with Timothy Galligan,
Just in Time for Lannigan's ball.-Chorus.

Whin we got there they were dancing the polka,
All round the rooin in a quare whirligig;
But Kitty and I put a stop to this nousinse,
We tipt them a taste of a nate Irish jig;
Oh! Mavrone, wasn't she proud of me!
We bather'd the flure till the ceiling did fall,
For I spent three weeks at Brooke's academy,
L'arning a step for Lannigan's ball.-Chorus.

The boys were all merry, the girls were frisky,
Drinking together in couples and groups,
Whin an accident happened to Paddy O'Rafferty,
He stuck his right foot through Miss Flanigan's hoops.
The craythur she fainted, and roared "Millia murthcr!"
Called for her fri'nds, and gathered thim all;
Tim Dermody swore that he'd go no further,
But have satisfaction at Lannigan's ball.-Chorus.

Och, arrah! boys, thin was the ruction,
Meself got a wollop from Phelim McCoo,
Soon I replied to his nate introduction.
And we kicked up the divil's phililaloo;
Casey, the piper, be was nearly strangled.
He squeezed up his bags, chaunters and all,
The girls in their ribbons all got entangled,
And that put a stop to Lannigan's ball.-Chorus.

In the midst of the row Miss Kavanagh fainted,
Her face all the while was as red as the rose,
The ladies declared her cheeks they were painted,
But she'd taken a drop too much, I suppose.
Paddy McCaty, so hearty and able,
Whin he saw his dear colleen stretched out in the hall,
He pulled the best leg out from under the table,
And broke all the chiney at Lannigan's ball.-Chorus.