Gartloney Rats Lyrics - Pogues

The boys from the village were festering sore 

For a day on the rant with some music and more 

They'd drink porter in Maura's way over in fore 

And they never get drunk but stay sober 

There was Harry the banjo and Dunne of the swan 

With whose bone from the wing he'd beat the bodhran 

And the song that he'd sing was of ganders and all 

And they never get drunk but stay sober 

There was woods on the guitar and auld squeeze box too 

Who came from a time before aeroplanes flew 

He'd sit in a corner and mule quite a few 

And they never get drunk but stay sober 

There was Mahon the singer who knew all the songs 

And never was known to put a foot wrong 

He'd sing through the night till the break o' the morn 

And he'd never get drunk but stay sober 

Then Harry the banjo now there was a man 

A bottomless pit if ever there was one 

More porter he'd lower that there was in the land 

He'd never get drunk but stay sober 

The Gartloney Rats they play away 

They'd play for the pints and not for the pay 

And the pints they'd go down in the usual way 

And they'd never get drunk but stay sober