| lyric | Have yoou heard of Phil the fluter who would never pay the rent?
Whenever he was down and out without a single cent,
He would circlate a notice to his nieghbours one and all
As to how he’d like their company that evening at the ball.
An when writin’ out he was careful to suggest to them,
That if they found a hat of his convenient to the door,
The more they put in, When ever he requested them
The better would the music be for battering the floor.
With the toot of the flute, and the twiddle of the fiddle, Oh!
Hopping in the middle like a herrin’ on the griddle, Oh!
Up, down, hands aroun’ crossin’ to the wall
So come and join the gaiety at Phil the Fluter’s Ball.
There was Misther Denis Dogherty, who kep’ ‘The Runnin’ Dog’;
There was little crooked Paddy, from the Tiraloughett bog;
There was boys from every barony, and girls from ev’ry ‘art’
And the beautiful Miss Bradys, in a private ass an’ cart,
And along with them came bouncing Mrs. Cafferty,
Little Mickey Mulligan was also to the fore,
Rose, Suzanne and Margaret O’Rafferty,
The flower of Ardmagullion and the pride of Pethravore.
First little Mickey Mulligan got up to show them how,
And then the widow Cafferty steps out and makes her bow.
‘I could dance you off your legs’, sez she, ‘As sure as you were born,
If you’ll only make the piper play “The hare is in the corn’”.
So Phil plays up to the best of his ability,
The lady and the gentleman begin to do their share;
While young Mick was a-prancing with agility,
Decrepit Mrs Cafferty was leppin’ like a hare.
Then Phil the Fluter tipped a wink to little crooked Pat,
‘1 think it’s nearly time,’ sez he, ‘For passin’ round the hat’.
So Paddy did the necessary looking mighty cute,
Sez ‘Ye’ve got to pay the piper when he toothers on the flute.’
Then all joined in with the greatest joviality
Covering the Buckle and the Shuffle and the Trent.
Jigs were danced of the very finest quality,
The widow found a husband and the Fluter found the rent. |