[Verse 1]
My name is Sean O' Flaherty
And a story I will tell
Come gather round, quiet down
As so to hear it well
Listen with all patience
As I sing this song
For my voice it is weak
And my drink it is strong
[Verse 2]
My father played the accordion
A pa**ion in his hands
To end the day, he'd sit and play
The music of his land
He played it to forget
And he played to recall
And he played for his family
But for me most of all
[Verse 3]
He said "Sean come and listen
To what I have to say
The time has come for you, my son
To learn how to play."
"My hands have grown tired
I've counted my moons
So please take my instrument
With it take my tune."
[Verse 4]
The music, it was brilliant
The music, it was grand
The instrument would dance around
Alive in my hands
I played it to forget
And I played to recall
And I played this old instrument
For my father most of all
[Verse 5]
In the cold month of January
My father pa**ed away
And in that time, I came to find
The music hard to play
But troubled I was not
With a drink in my hand
For it's easy to forget
When it's hard just to stand
[Verse 6]
So I brought my old accordian
To the pub as if to play
But I pa** it far, across the bar
My drinking for to pay
You can drink to forget
You can drink to recall
But I'll drink to this old instrument
That hangs on the wall