Oh me name is McNamara
I'm the leader of the band
Although we're small in numbers we're the best band in the land
We play for wakes and weddings
And at every fancy ball
And when we play the funerals
We play the March from Saul
Oh the drums go bang
The cymbals clang
The horns they blaze away
McCarthy plays the old basson
While I the pipes do play
And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute
And the music is something grand
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band
Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaa, laaaa la la la laaaaa
Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaaaa
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band
Right now we are rehearsing
For a very swell affair
The annual celebration
All the gentry will be there
When General Grant to Ireland came
He took me by the hand
Saws he, I never heard the likes of McNamara's band
Oh the drums go bang
The cymbals clang
The horns they blaze away
McCarthy plays the old basson
While I the pipes do play
And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute
And the music is something grand
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band
Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaa, laaaa la la la laaaaa
Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaaaa
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band