American Old Time Song Lyrics: 25 That Rogue, Reilly

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 25

THAT ROGUE, REILLY.

There's a boy that follows me every day,
Although he declares that I use him vilely,
But all I can do he won't go away,
This obstinate, ranting Reilly.
In every street 'tis him I meet,
In vain the byway path I try,
The very shadow of my feet
I might as well attempt to fly,
As that boy that follows me every day,
Although he declares that I use him vilely,
Yet all I can say he won't go away,
That raking, ranting Reilly.

My mother she sent me ten miles away,
In hopes that the fellow would never find me,
But the very next day we were making hay,
The villain stood close behind me.
For this, says I, you shall dearly pay,
How dare you such a freedom take?
Says he, I heard you were making hay,
And I thought, my dear, you'd want a rake,
and therefore I followed you here to-day,
With your diamond eye, and your point,
Like a needle concealed in a bundle of hay,
But I found you out, said Reilly.

I told him at last, in a rage, to pack,
And then for a while he fought more shyly;
But, like a bad shilling. he soon came back,
That counterfeit rogue, that Reilly.
To hunt me up he takes disguise,
One day a beggar wench appears,
'Twas that rogue himself, but I knew his eyes,
And didn't I box the rascal's ears?
Yet still he keeps following every day,
Plotting and planning so 'cute and slyly,
And there isn't a fox more tricks can play
Than raking, ranting Reilly.

A nunnery, now, my old maiden aunt,
Declares for young women the best protection,
But shelter so very secure, I can't
Consider without objection.
A plague on the fellows, both great and small,
They bother us so till they find a wife,
Yet if we should never be bothered at all,
I think 'twould be rather a stupid life;
So the rogue still follows me every day,
And I continue to use him vilely,
But the neighbors all say, till I'm turned to clay
I'll never get rid of Reilly.