Spanish lady
Shane MacGowan & the Popes Lyrics
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At the hour of twelve o'clock at night
Who should I see but the Spanish lady
Washing her feet by candlelight
First she washed it
Then she dried it
Over a fire of amber coals
In all my life I never did see
Whack for the tur a lur a laddy
Whack for the tur a lur a lay
Whack for the tur a lur a laddy
Whack for the tur a lur a lay
As I went our through Dublin City
At the hour of half past eight
Who do I see but the Spanish lady
Combing her hair so trim and neat
First she brushed it
Then she combed it
On her lap was a silver comb
In all my life I never did see
A maid so sweet since I did roam
As I walked out through Dublin City
As the sun began to set
Who should I see but the Spanish lady
Catch a moth in her golden net
First she spied me then she fled me
Hitchin' her petticoat over her knee
In all my life ne'er did I see
A maid so fair as the Spanish Lady
The song "Spanish Lady" by Shane MacGowan & the Popes is a traditional Irish folk tune that tells the story about a man's encounters with a beautiful Spanish lady in Dublin. The lyrics describe the man's admiration for the Spanish lady's beauty and her washing her feet by candlelight, brushing and combing her hair, and catching a moth in her golden net. Throughout the song, the man repeats the phrase "Whack for the tur a lur a laddy" as a form of emphasis on his admiration for the Spanish lady.
The song evokes a sense of nostalgia and romanticism for the past and Ireland's historical connections to Spain. The Spanish lady serves as a symbol for the exotic and foreign, but also as a reminder of the long-standing cultural connections between Spain and Ireland. The lyrics also showcase the traditional folk music of Ireland and the role of storytelling and oral history in Irish culture.
Line by Line Meaning
As I went out through Dublin City
I went out on a stroll through Dublin's streets
At the hour of twelve o'clock at night
It was late at night, exactly at 12 o'clock
Who should I see but the Spanish lady
I came across a beautiful woman of Spanish origin
Washing her feet by candlelight
She was washing her feet while illuminated by a candle
First she washed it
The lady washed her foot first
Then she dried it
She then proceeded to dry her foot
Over a fire of amber coals
The fire from the amber coals was the source of heat for drying her foot
In all my life I never did see
I have never seen before in my life
A maid so sweet about the soul
A girl so pure at heart and angelic in beauty
Whack for the tur a lur a laddy
Irish folk tune used as a chant between verses
Whack for the tur a lur a lay
Irish folk tune used as a chant between verses
As I went out through Dublin City
Walking again through the streets of Dublin
At the hour of half past eight
It was half past eight in the evening
Who do I see but the Spanish lady
I see the same beautiful lady from earlier
Combing her hair so trim and neat
She was carefully combing her hair, nicely arranged
First she brushed it
She brushed her hair first
Then she combed it
She followed up by combing it
On her lap was a silver comb
She held a silver comb on her lap
In all my life I never did see
I have never seen before in my life
A maid so sweet since I did roam
I haven't seen such a sweet girl while traveling
As I walked out through Dublin City
Walking through Dublin once again
As the sun began to set
The sun started to go down
Who should I see but the Spanish lady
I see the same Spanish lady again
Catch a moth in her golden net
She caught a moth in her golden net
First she spied me then she fled me
She noticed my presence, then quickly ran away from me
Hitchin' her petticoat over her knee
As she ran away, she hiked up her petticoat above her knee
In all my life ne'er did I see
I have never seen before in my life
A maid so fair as the Spanish Lady
A girl so beautiful as the Spanish Lady
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAUNCY OLCOTT, ERNEST BALL, GEORGE GRAFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind