IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY
The Keltics Lyrics
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As the streets are paved with gold, sure ev´ryone was gay;
Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,
Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there:
"It´s a long way to Tipperary,
It´s a long way to go;
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
Oh, good-bye to Piccadilly!
Farewell, Leicester Square!
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart lies here!"
Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O,
Saying, "Should you not receive it,
Write and let me know!
If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly dear," said he
"Remember it´s the pen that´s bad,
Don´t lay the blame on me."
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
It´s a long way to go;
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
To the most beautiful girl I know!
Hey, good-bye to Piccadilly!
Farewell, Leicester Square!
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart lies there!
Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O.
Saying, "Mike Mahoney, he wants to marry me,
And so leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you´ll be to blame
For love has fairly drove me silly, hoping you´re the same?"
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
It´s a long way to go;
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Ay, good-bye to Piccadilly!
And farewell, Leicester Square!
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart lies there!
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
It´s a long way to go;
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
To the most beautiful girl, I sing about live!
Oh yes, oh, good-bye to Piccadilly!
And farewell, Leicester Square!
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart lies there!
The lyrics to "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" tell the story of an Irishman who travels to London in search of a better life, only to find himself homesick for his sweetheart in Tipperary. The song is an upbeat and optimistic melody that captures the joyful mood of those who were migrating to the city in the early 20th century. The first verse sets the scene, with Paddy excitedly exploring the streets of London, singing to himself about the sights and sounds of the city. The chorus expresses his longing for Tipperary, the place where his heart remains, despite his new life in London.
The second verse introduces Paddy's love interest, Molly, who he writes to and asks to keep in touch with him. He apologizes in advance for any spelling mistakes in his letter, which is a nod to the many Irish immigrants at the time who could not read or write. The chorus repeats, with Paddy's longing for Tipperary becoming more pronounced with each repetition.
The final verse brings in a twist, as Molly writes back to Paddy and tells him that another man, Mike Mahoney, wants to marry her. She tells Paddy to come back to Tipperary and marry her, or else she will have to accept Mike's proposal. This adds a layer of conflict and a sense of urgency to the song, as now Paddy must hurry back to Tipperary to win his love back. The final chorus ends on a triumphant note, with Paddy's heart still firmly in Tipperary despite the trials of his London life.
Line by Line Meaning
Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day,
An Irishman came to London in high spirits, thinking that the streets would be paved with gold.
As the streets are paved with gold, sure ev´ryone was gay;
The Irishman thought that the streets of London would be filled with riches and happiness.
Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,
The Irishman sang songs about famous areas in London to express his excitement and joy.
Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there:
Eventually, the Irishman got so excited that he shouted out to those around him.
"It´s a long way to Tipperary,
The Irishman exclaimed that Tipperary, a place far away, was on his mind.
It´s a long way to go;
He acknowledged that the journey to Tipperary was long.
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
The Irishman repeated that Tipperary was a long way away.
To the sweetest girl I know!
He expressed that the reason he was thinking of Tipperary was because of a girl there that he loved.
Oh, good-bye to Piccadilly!
The Irishman said goodbye to Piccadilly, an area in London he had been singing about, indicating he was ready to leave London.
Farewell, Leicester Square!
He also said farewell to Leicester Square, another London area he had been singing about.
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
The Irishman repeated that his journey to Tipperary would be long.
But my heart lies here!"
Despite thinking of Tipperary, the Irishman acknowledged that his heart was still in London.
Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O,
The Irishman wrote a letter to his love interest in Tipperary, called Irish Molly O.
Saying, "Should you not receive it,
In the letter, he requested that if Molly did not receive it, she should let him know.
Write and let me know!
He asked her to write back and inform him.
If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly dear," said he
The Irishman preemptively apologized for any spelling mistakes he might make in the letter.
"Remember it´s the pen that´s bad,
He then shifted the blame for any spelling errors to the pen itself.
Don´t lay the blame on me."
He hoped that Molly would not hold any mistakes against him.
To the most beautiful girl I know!
In the chorus, the Irishman sang about his love for the girl he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world, who lived in Tipperary.
Hey, good-bye to Piccadilly!
Again, he said goodbye to Piccadilly, indicating his eagerness to leave London and go to Tipperary.
Farewell, Leicester Square!
Similarly, he also bid farewell to Leicester Square.
Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy O.
Molly wrote back to the Irishman in response to his letter.
Saying, "Mike Mahoney, he wants to marry me,
In the letter, Molly informed the Irishman that another man, Mike Mahoney, wanted to marry her.
And so leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you´ll be to blame
Molly threatened to blame the Irishman if she had to leave London and give up the life she had there.
For love has fairly drove me silly, hoping you´re the same?"
She expressed that her love for the Irishman had made her feel foolish and asked if he felt the same way.
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
In the chorus, the Irishman continued to sing about how far away Tipperary was.
To the sweetest girl I know!
He reiterated that his journey to Tipperary was for the love of the sweetest girl he knew.
Ay, good-bye to Piccadilly!
Once again, the Irishman said goodbye to Piccadilly.
And farewell, Leicester Square!
Again, he said farewell to Leicester Square as well.
It´s a long, long way to Tipperary,
He repeated for the final time that his journey to Tipperary was a long one.
But my heart lies there!
Despite his love for London, he acknowledged that his heart was in Tipperary with the woman he loved.
It´s a long way to Tipperary,
In the final line of the chorus, the Irishman reiterated the theme of the entire song: that Tipperary was far away.
To the most beautiful girl, I sing about live!
The Irishman concluded the song by singing about his love for the most beautiful girl he had ever known, who lived in Tipperary.
Contributed by Callie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.