Oh! Me name is McNamara,
I'm the leader of the band.
Although we're few in numbers
We're the finest in the land.
We play at wakes and weddings
And at ev'ry fancy ball,
And when we play to funerals
We play the march from Saul.
Oh! The drums go bang,
And the cymbals clang,
And the horns they blaze away;
McCarthy pumps the old bassoon
While I the pipes do play;
And Hennessey Tennessee tootles the flute,
And the music is somethin' grand;
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band.
Oh! My name is Uncle Yulius and
From Sweden have I come,
To play with McNamara's band
And bear the big bass drum,
And when I march along the street
The ladies think I'm grand
They shout "There's Uncle Yulius
Playing with an Irish band"
Oh! I wear a bunch of shamrocks
And a uniform of green,
And I'm the funniest looking Swede
That you have ever seen.
There's O'Briens and Ryans
And Sheehans and Meehans
They come from Ireland, but by Yimminy
I'm the only Swede in McNamara's band.
Oh! The drums go bang,
And the cymbals clang,
And the horns they blaze away;
McCarthy pumps the old bassoon
While I the pipes do play;
And Hennessey Tennessee tootles the flute,
And the music is somethin' grand;
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band