Lyrics
John Reilly was a traveling man from round the town of Boyle
He chanted a store of ancient song of Lords and Ladies Royal
A milk-white steed in the smoky firelight
Went a galloping away with a golden spark
The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy sang John Reilly
The man who came in from the dark
Ring a dum a dero, Ring dum a didero
Ring a dum a dero, Ring a dum doh
John Reilly was a traveling man
He mended the kettle and he mended the pan
He chanted the tale of old Lord Baker
Who sailed away to Turkey Land
The Well Below The Valley O
He chanted as clear as the morning lark
The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy sang John Reilly
The man who came in from the dark
Ring a dum a dero, Ring dum a didero
Ring a dum a dero, Ring a dum doh
Well the scholars and the song collectors
They could scarce believe their ears
To hear John Reilly chanting ballads
That they thought had long since disappeared
The golden treasure of the traveling people
Around the campfire glows a spark
I'm a Raggle-Taggle gypsy says John Reilly
The man who came in from the dark
Ring a dum a dero, Ring dum a didero
Ring a dum a dero, Ring a dum doh
With the Rí Rá Ruaille, Mainistir na Búile
Dream Tincéiri, Dream Tincéirí
Mise 'gus a Tusa 'gus a Ruball na Muice
Rí Rá Ruaille, Mainistir na Búile
Fíon agus Beoir for the Feen and the Beoir
The Coonya, the Soobla, The Rí Rá Ruaille
Mainistir na Búile
John Reilly made a famous record
A famous record called The Bonny Green Tree
All annotated and collated
By a lovely man called Tom Munnelly
Young Christy Moore he came down hunting
And a hungry hunter for a ballad was he
Recorded the songs of ol' John Reilly
With a Raggle-Taggle band that they call Planxty
Ring a dum a dero, Ring dum a didero
Ring a dum a dero, Ring a dum doh
Here's a health to the people of old Roscommon