The Old Orange Flute lyrics and chords

The chords to The Old Orange Flute are presented in the key of C.

The lyrics highlight the uneasy relationship between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. A Protestant man married a Catholic woman and converted to Catholicism himself. However his flute would only play Protestant tunes much to the anger of local Catholics.

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But Bob, the deceiver, he took us all in
He married a Papish called Bridget McGinn
Turned Papish himself and forsook the old cause
That gave us our freedom, religion and laws

Now the boys in the place made some comment upon it
And Bob had to fly to the province of Connaught
Well he fled with his wife and his fixings to boot
And along with the latter, his old orange flute.

At the chapel on Sundays, to atone for past deeds
He’d say Paters and Aves and he counted his beads
Till after some time, at the priest´s own desire
Bob went with his old flute to play in the choir

Well he went with his old flute to play in the mass
But the instrument shivered and sighed, oh alas
And blow as he would, though it made a great noise
The flute would play only ‘The Protestant Boys’

At a council of priests that was held the next day
They decided to banish the old flute away
They couldn´t knock heresy out of its head
So they bought Bob a new one to play in its stead

Now the old flute it was doomed and its fate was pathetic
´Twas fastened and burnt at the stake as heretic
As the flames rose around it sure they heard a strange noise
´Twas the Old Flute still playing ‘The Protestant Boys’

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Lyrics and Chords

The Old Orange Flute lyrics and chords print version

In the [C]County Tyrone near the town of Dungannon
There was many a ruction that me[G7]self had a hand in
Bob [C]Williams he lived there a [F]weaver by [C]trade
And all of us [G7]thought him a [C]stout O[F]range [C]blade

On the [C]twelfth of July as a[F]round it had come
Bob [C]played his old flute to the [G7]sound of a drum
You can [C]talk of you [C7]harp, your pi[F]ano or [C]lute
But nothing com[G7]pares with the [C]old o[F]range [C]flute

But Bob, the deceiver, he took us all in
He married a Papish called Bridget McGinn
Turned Papish himself and forsook the old cause
That gave us our freedom, religion and laws

Now the boys in the place made some comment upon it
And Bob had to fly to the province of Connaught
Well he fled with his wife and his fixings to boot
And along with the latter, his old orange flute.

At the chapel on Sundays, to atone for past deeds
He’d say Paters and Aves and he counted his beads
Till after some time, at the priest´s own desire
Bob went with his old flute to play in the choir

Well he went with his old flute to play in the mass
But the instrument shivered and sighed, oh alas
And blow as he would, though it made a great noise
The flute would play only ‘The Protestant Boys’

At a council of priests that was held the next day
They decided to banish the old flute away
They couldn´t knock heresy out of its head
So they bought Bob a new one to play in its stead

Now the old flute it was doomed and its fate was pathetic
´Twas fastened and burnt at the stake as heretic
As the flames rose around it sure they heard a strange noise
´Twas the Old Flute still playing ‘The Protestant Boys’

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Lyrics and Chords