Old Woman from Wexford – lyrics and chords

The lyrics to The Old Woman From Wexford tell the story of a man who outwits his wife after she tries to kill him. There are several versions to be found in different English speaking countries all over the world.

Old Woman from Wexford
Videos

Click here for print version

The chords are presented here in C Major, the key used by the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem in most of their performances of the song. In later years, when Paddy Clancy took the lead vocals, they performed the song in D Major. Ronnie Drew and the Dubliners played it in A Major. Canadian folk rock group perform the song in E Major. Use our chord converter to play the song in other keys.

[wpchords]

[C]There was an old woman from Wexford,
In Wexford [G7]town did [C]dwell.
She loved her [F]husband dearly
But a[G]nother man twice as[F]well.

Chorus

With me[C] rifah loora [G7]liddey ay
And me [C] rifah [G7]low-rel[C] lay.

[/wpchords]

Chord Converterguitar
Our chord converter enables you to play this song in any key.

One day she went to the doctor
Some medicine for to find.
She says: “Doctor give me something
That’ll make me ould man blind.”

Chorus

“Oh, feed him eggs and marrow bones
And make him eat them all,
And it won’t be so very long after that
He won’t see you at all.”

Chorus

Now the doctor wrote a letter
And he signed with his hand,
And he sent it to the old man
Just to let him understand.

Chorus

So she fed him eggs and marrow bones
And made him eat them all,
And it wasn’t so very long after that
He couldn’t see the wall.

Chorus

“O,” says he “I’d go and drown myself
But that might be a sin.”
“Well,” says she “I’ll go along with you
And I’ll help to push you in.”

Chorus

The old woman she stepped back a bit
To run and push him in.
But the old man slyly stepped aside
And she went tumbling in

Chorus

Oh, how loudly did she roar
And how loudly did she bawl,
“Arrah sure will yer whisht ould woman
Sure I can’t see you at all.”

Chorus

She swam and swam and swam and swam
Till she reached the further brim.
The old man got a long, larch pole
And he pushed her further in.

Chorus

Now eggs are eggs and marrow bones
May make your old man blind,
But if you want to drown him
You must creep up close behind.

Chorus

Old Woman from Wexford
Old Woman from Wexford videos
Old Woman from Wexford lyrics and chords

Woman from Wexford lyrics and chords print version

[C]There was an old woman from Wexford,
In Wexford [G7]town did [C]dwell.
She loved her [F]husband dearly
But a[G]nother man twice as[F]well.

Chorus

With me[C] rifah loora [G7]liddey ay
And me [C] rifah [G7]low-rel[C] lay.

One day she went to the doctor
Some medicine for to find.
She says: “Doctor give me something
That’ll make me ould man blind.”

Chorus

“Oh, feed him eggs and marrow bones
And make him eat them all,
And it won’t be so very long after that
He won’t see you at all.”

Chorus

Now the doctor wrote a letter
And he signed with his hand,
And he sent it to the old man
Just to let him understand.

Chorus

So she fed him eggs and marrow bones
And made him eat them all,
And it wasn’t so very long after that
He couldn’t see the wall.

Chorus

“O,” says he “I’d go and drown myself
But that might be a sin.”
“Well,” says she “I’ll go along with you
And I’ll help to push you in.”

Chorus

The old woman she stepped back a bit
To run and push him in.
But the old man slyly stepped aside
And she went tumbling in

Chorus

Oh, how loudly did she roar
And how loudly did she bawl,
“Arrah sure will yer whisht ould woman
Sure I can’t see you at all.”

Chorus

She swam and swam and swam and swam
Till she reached the further brim.
The old man got a long, larch pole
And he pushed her further in.

Chorus

Now eggs are eggs and marrow bones
May make your old man blind,
But if you want to drown him
You must creep up close behind.

Chorus

Old Woman from Wexford
Old Woman from Wexford videos
Old Woman from Wexford lyrics and chords