The Fields Of Athenrey
Waxies Dargle Lyrics


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Says my oul wan to your oul wan will you come to the Waxies Dargle
Says your oul wan to my oul wan sure I haven't got a farthin
I went down to Monto Town and I asked young Kill McArdle
But he wouldn't lend me the half a crown to go to the Waxies Dargle

What will you have? Will you have a pint?
I'll have a pint with you sir
And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer

Says my aul one to your aul one will you come to the Galway Races
Says your aul one to my aul one with the price of my aul lad's braces
I went down to Capel Street to the Jew man money lenders
But they wouldn't give me a couple of bob on me oul lad's red suspenders

What will you have? Will you have a pint?
I'll have a pint with you sir
And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer

Says my aul one to your aul one we have no beef nor mutton
But if we go down to Monto Town we might get a drink for nothin'
Here's a nice piece of advice I got from an aul fishmonger
When food is scarce and you see the hearse you know you've died of hunger

What will you have? Will you have a pint?
I'll have a pint with you sir
And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer

Says my oul wan to your oul wan will you come to the Waxies Dargle
Says your oul wan to my oul wan sure I haven't got a farthin
I went down to Monto Town and I asked young Kill McArdle
But he wouldn't give me a half a crown to go to the Waxies Dargle

What will you have? Will you have a pint?




I'll have a pint with you sir
And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer

Overall Meaning

The Fields of Athenry by Waxies Dargle is an Irish song consisting of several verses that repeatedly follow the same pattern with slight variations. A conversation between two people, who are likely friends or family, is occurring throughout the song. One person asks the other to join them for a night out at the Waxies Dargle pub, but they have no money. The second person offers to buy them a pint, and they discuss their financial struggles and the potential for getting a free drink at Monto Town. The final verse offers a piece of advice about poverty, and the song ends as it began, with the initial invitation to go to the Waxies Dargle.


The song's playful and humorous tone belies the heavy topics it touches on, such as poverty, hunger, and the struggle to make ends meet. The repetitive structure with slightly different lyrics each time serves to emphasize the cyclical nature of poverty and the comfort found in friendship and shared experiences, such as a night out at the pub.


Line by Line Meaning

Says my oul wan to your oul wan will you come to the Waxies Dargle
My mother is asking your mother if we should go to the Waxies Dargle to have fun.


Says your oul wan to my oul wan sure I haven't got a farthin
Your mother says that she cannot lend us any money.


I went down to Monto Town and I asked young Kill McArdle But he wouldn't lend me the half a crown to go to the Waxies Dargle
I tried to borrow some money from a man in Monto Town, but he refused to lend me even half a crown for the Waxies Dargle.


What will you have? Will you have a pint?
What do you want to drink? Are you going to have a pint?


I'll have a pint with you sir
Yes, I will have a pint with you.


And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer
If one of us does not order soon, we will be kicked out of the pub.


Says my aul one to your aul one will you come to the Galway Races
My father is asking your father to come with us to watch the Galway Races.


Says your aul one to my aul one with the price of my aul lad's braces
Your father says that he cannot afford to go because he spent all his money on your brother's braces.


I went down to Capel Street to the Jew man money lenders But they wouldn't give me a couple of bob on me oul lad's red suspenders
I tried to borrow some money from the moneylenders on Capel Street, but they refused to lend me even a few shillings against my father's red suspenders.


Says my aul one to your aul one we have no beef nor mutton But if we go down to Monto Town we might get a drink for nothin'
My father says that we have no food to eat, but if we go to Monto Town, we might be able to get a free drink.


Here's a nice piece of advice I got from an aul fishmonger When food is scarce and you see the hearse you know you've died of hunger
An old fishmonger once told me that if you see a hearse during a famine, it means that you have died of hunger.


Says my oul wan to your oul wan will you come to the Waxies Dargle
My mother is again asking your mother if we should go to the Waxies Dargle.


Says your oul wan to my oul wan sure I haven't got a farthin
Your mother says that she still does not have any money to lend us.


I went down to Monto Town and I asked young Kill McArdle But he wouldn't give me a half a crown to go to the Waxies Dargle
I tried once more to ask for some money from Kill McArdle in Monto Town, but he still refused to lend me even half a crown.


What will you have? Will you have a pint?
Again, what do you want to drink? Are you going to have a pint?


I'll have a pint with you sir
I will still have a pint with you.


And if one of you don't order soon we'll be thrown out of the boozer
Once again, if one of us does not order soon, we will be kicked out of the pub.




Writer(s): Pete St-john

Contributed by Gabriella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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