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The Mero

from Irish Pub Songs by Boxty Rebellion

about

"The Mero" - a song about a former cinema in Mary St., Dublin called The Lyceum Cinema. "The Mero" is slang for Mary.

James Joyce previously managed this cinema when it was called the Volta Cinema.

The song refers to many well known Dublin characters in the 30s and 50s such as:

Alfie Byrne, the Lord Mayor of Dublin 1930-39; playwright and poet Brendan Behan and Con Martin, a Dublin football player; Bang Bang, a Dublin tramp who carried a brass key to 'shoot' people while hanging from a bus; Johnny Forty Coats, a tramp who used to wander Dublin Streets, wore number of coats; Hairy Lemon, another tramp in Dublin, named because of long beard; Dolly Fosset, a brothel owner in Dublin.

Other Dublin icons mentioned are Hafners, famous sausage makers and Jacobs, biscuit makers.

'Langers' means very drunk and 'Longers' means long trousers. A 'jar' is a drink.

The 'Pillar' refers to Nelson's Pillar which stood in O'Connell Street in Dublin until blown up in 1966 by the IRA, the 50th anniversary of the 1916 rising.

A Plenary Indulgence is a reward from Catholic Church for good works.

lyrics

There's somebody… under the bed…
Whoever… can it be…
I feel so… very nervous…
I call for… Joni…
Joni… lights the candle…
But there’s no… body there...
Hei… hi… diddley… di… And out goes she...

Skipping ropes keep turning…
And children… at their play...
In… and out… to Claredon street…
In… and out… to pray
I haven’t prayed… for 20 years…
Or sung… a happy song
Since praying went with innocence,
And the devil played along...

And we… all went up to The Mero…
Hey there… whose yer man…
It's only… Johnny… Forty Coats…
Sure he's… a desperate man…
Bang-Bang… shoots the buses…
With his… golden key…
Hei… hi… diddley… di… And out goes she…

Me father was a Stater…
Me mother… … loved a Tan
She loved her Heffner sausages…
And her solider fancy man...
Norah… is up at Jacob's…
And Mary's… on the town...
I joined… the Transport Union...
When they said… me nose… was brown…

And we all went up to The Mero…
Hey there whose yer man...
It's Alfie Byrne out walking…
Sure he’s… a decent man...
Bang-Bang… shoots the buses…
With his… golden key...
Hei hi… diddley di… And out goes she...

I’ve a tanner for The Mero…
And me compo money's… hid...
If Mary's in the family way…
She can blame the Cisco Kid...
I'll be langers in the morning…
Me longers… need a patch...
A jaysus… there's Con Martin…
I hope yas win… the match...

Me uncle… had a wolf-hound…
That never… had to pee...
But Hairy Lemon… snatched it…
Down on the Eden Quay...
Now I have… me primo…
Me scapulars… are blue...
For helping… the black babies…
And Dolly Fosset too…

And… we… all went up to The Mero...
Hey there… whose yer man…
It's Brendan Behan out walking...
Sure he's… a ginger man…
Bang-Bang… shoots the buses…
With his… golden key...
Hei hi… diddley di… And out goes she...

It’s true, Dublin's changing...
Since the pillar was blown down...
By the winds of violence…
That's buggering up… the town...
We used to sort a difference…
With a digging match and a jar...
Now they're all playing Bang-Bang…
It’s goin’ too bleedin’ far...

[Slow… No music]

And… we… all went up to The Mero...
Hey there… whose yer man...
It's only… me guardian angel...
Get a large one… for your man...
No use… … in bleeding… rushing...
For now's… the holy hour…
A plenary… indulgence
And… another…… baby…… Power!

credits

from Irish Pub Songs, released March 20, 2012
Recorded live at O'Malley's Irish Pub in Shanghai on 20 March 2012.

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Boxty Rebellion 上海市, China

James McGeough (aka Jimmy Dash), from Co. Monaghan, Ireland, formed his original Dash Band in 2008 playing country and blues. In 2009 Irish drinking songs were added to the repertoire. Late in 2010 the repertoire was further expanded with traditional Irish songs and Boxty Rebellion was born! The band, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from USA, Ireland, England and Scotland ... more

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