Lilliburlero!

Lilliburlero!

Ho! Brother teague, dost here de decree, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
Dat we shall have a new debittie, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus
Lero, lero, lero, lero, Lilli Bur/ero bullen a la, Lero, lero, lero, lero, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Ho! By my soul it is a Talbot, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
And he will cut all the Englishmen's throat, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

Though by my shoul de English do prat, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
De law's on dare side, and Christ knows what, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

But if dispense do come from the Pope, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
We'll hang Magna Carte and demselves on a rope, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

And the good Talbot is made a Lord, Lilli Burleor bullen a la,
And he with his brave lads is coming abroad, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

Who all in France have taken a swear, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
Dat dey will have no Protestant heir, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

Ara! But why does King James stay behind?
Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
Ho! By my shoul 'tis a Protestant wind, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

But see De Tyrconnell is now come ashore, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
And we shall have commissions galore, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

And he that will not go to de mass, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
Shall be turned out and look like an ass, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

Now, now de heretics all go down, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
By Christ and Saint Patrick de nation's our own, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

There was an old prophecy found in a bog, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
That Ireland should be rul'd by an ass and a dog, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

And now this prophecy is come to pass, Lilli Burlero bullen a la,
For James is the dog and TyrconneIl's the ass, Lilli Burlero bullen a la.

Chorus

Note: This immensely catchy tune first turned up in 1641 in Ulster. In 1688, King James II designated Colonel Richard Talbot, a Catholic, as Earl of Tyrconnel and sent him to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant. This enraged the English and Irish Protestants, who took up this song-"For James is de dog and Tyrconnel's de ass"-as their protest. It's been claimed that this tune "whistled James from the throne of England." A nice, if apocryphal, line.