The Rakes of Mallow

Beauing, belling, dancing, drinking,
Breaking windown, damning, sinking,
Ever raking, never thinking,
Life the rakes of Mallow.

Spending faster than it comes,
Beating waiters, bailiffs, duns,
Bacchus's true-begotten sons,
Live the rakes of Mallow.

One time nought by claret drinking,
Then like politicians thinking,
To raise the sinking funds when sinking,
Live the rakes of Mallow.

When at home with dadda dying,
Still for Mallow water crying;
But where there's good claret plying,
Live the rakes of Mallow.

Living short, but merry lives'
Going here the devil drives;
Having sweethearts, but no wives,
Live the rakes of Mallow.

Racking tenants, stewards teasing,
Swiftly spending, slowly raising,
Wishing to spend all their days in
Raking as at Mallow.

Then to end this raking life,
They get sober, take a wife,
Ever after live in strife,
And wish again for Mallow.

[Niall MacDonagh: This tune is unnervingly well know, but the song far less so. My Dad used it for one of the songs in his play God's Gentry.
https://members.tripod.com/IrishBornMan/Gods_Gentry.htm (case sensitive)]