Molly
Jack Hylton and His Orchestra Lyrics

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty
The setting is the beautiful city of Dublin where Molly Malone resides.

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
The singer recalls the moment he met Molly Malone and was struck by her sweetness.

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow through streets broad and narrow
Molly Malone's occupation involved wheeling a wheelbarrow through various streets, both wide and narrow.

Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!
Molly would sell shellfish and loudly advertise her wares by shouting 'alive-o' after each item.

She was a fishmonger and sure it was no wonder
Molly's occupation was a fishmonger, which is not surprising since both her parents had the same job.

For so were her father and mother before
Molly's parents were also fishmongers, making it a family trade and tradition.

And they both wheeled their barrows through streets broad and narrow
Similar to Molly, her parents also transported their goods via wheelbarrows and covered various types of street.

She died of a fever and no one could save her
Unfortunately, Molly passed away due to an illness and no one was able to cure her.

And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
Molly's passing marked the end of her life and she became a part of Dublin folklore.

Now her ghost wheels her barrow through streets broad and narrow
Folklore tells the story that Molly Malone's ghost still haunts the streets of Dublin while continuing to transport her wheelbarrow.

Crying cockles and mussels alive a-live O!
In death, Molly's ghost still advertises her shellfish loudly for all to hear as she roams the streets of Dublin.

A-live a-live O! A-live a-live O!
The phrase 'a-live o' is a distinctive chant unique to Molly Malone's fishmongering tradition that continues even after her passing.