Dubliners - The Rare Auld Times lyrics

Raised on songs & stories, heroes of renown The pa**ing tales & glories that once was Dublin town The hallowed halls & houses, the haunting childrens' rhymes That once was Dublin city in the rare ould times [Chorus:] Ring a ring a rosie, as the light declines I remember Dublin city in the rare ould times My name it is Sean Dempsey, as Dublin as can be Born hard & late in Pimlico, in a house that ceased to be By trade I was a cooper, lost out to redundancy Like my house that fell to progress, my trade's a memory & I courted Peggy Dignan, as pretty as you please A rogue & a child of Mary, from the rebel liberties I lost her to a student chap with a skin as black as coal When he took her off to Birmingham, she took away my soul [Chorus] The years have made me bitter, the gargle dims me brain 'Cause Dublin keeps on changing & nothing seems the same The Pillar & the Met have gone, the Royal long since pulled down As the great unyielding concrete makes a city of my town [Chorus] Fare thee well sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay & watch the new gla** cages, that spring up along the quay My mind's too full of memories, too old to hear new chimes I'm part of what was Dublin in the rare ould times [Chorus]