The Dubliners — Dublin In The Rare Old Times

[Chorus:] Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines I'll remember Dublin city, in the rare ould times Raised on songs & stories, heroes of renown The passing tales & glories, that once was Dublin town The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens' rhymes That once was Dublin city, in the rare ould times [Chorus] My name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as could be Born hard & late in Pimlico, in a house that's ceased to be By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory & I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please A rogue & a child of Mary, from the rebel Liberties I lost her to a student chap, with a 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 me brain Cause Dublin keeps on changing, & nothing seems the same The Pillar & 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 & watch the new glass cages, that spring up along the quay My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes I'm a part of what was Dublin, in the rare ould times [Chorus x2]