Dubliners - The Rare Old Times

chorus
C F C Am F
ring a ring a rosy , as the light declines ,
C F C G C
i’ll remember dublin city , in the rare old times .

C F C Am F
raised on songs and stories , heroes of renown ,
C F C G G7
the passing tales and glories that once was dublin town ,
C F C Am F
the hallowed halls and houses , the haunting children’s rhymes ,
C F C G7 C
that once was dublin city in the rare old times .

chorus

my name it is sean dempsey , as dublin as can be ,
born hard and late in pimlico , in a house that ceased to be ,
by trade i was a cooper , lost out to redundancy ,
like my house that fell to progress , my trades a memory .

and i courted peggy dignan , as pretty as you please ,
a rogue and child of mary , from the rebel liberties ,
i lost her to a student chap , with skin as black as coal ,
when he took her off to birmingham , she took away my soul .

chorus

the years have made me bitter , the gargle dims my brain ,
’cause dublin keeps on changing , and nothing seems the sane .
the pillar and the met . have gone , the royal long since pulled down ,
as the grey unyielding concrete makes a city of my town .

chorus

fare thee well sweet anna liffey , i can no longer stay ,
and watch the new glass cages that spring up along the quay ,
my mind’s too full of memories , to old to hear new chimes ,
i’m part of what was dublin , in the rare old times .

chorus x2