The First Love In Life - The Irish Rovers

I am a young fellow that’s fond of my fun

And Ferlin in Derry is where I’ve begun

All over the country, I’ve spent all my cash

With Kitty and Ginny and Mary McNash

My father disowned me for being such a rake

And for spending my time in such frolicksome ways

The girls, they are sweet, but I’ll have you all know

That my first love in life is the pure whiskey, oh!

Riddley-i-di, riddley-i-di-di, riddley-i-di-day

If I chance for to go to the town of Kildare

All the girls all around me they flock on the square

Some bring me a bottle and some bring me cake

And they do it behind their old pure parents' back

There’s one from McCorville and one from Carlisle

And another one from Derry my heart has beguiled

But I’d trade every one for a drop of the pure

For my first love is whiskey.

The heart it can cure

Riddley-i-di, riddley-i-di-di, riddley-i-di-day

To worry for riches, I’m never inclined

For the greatest of misers must leave them behind

With a glass in my hand and a girl on my knee

There’s all a man needs for his pleasure, you see

For I knew a man who had plenty of gold

And I knew another who had twenty times more

But they’re both on their backs among nettles and stone

So, my first love is whiskey and whiskey alone

Riddley-i-di, riddley-i-di-di, riddley-i-di-day

And now for the future, I mean to be wise

And I’ll look for the women that treated me kind

I’ll marry them all on the next Market Day

If the clergy agree to the things that I say

And when I am dead and my soul is at rest

These women will come for to cry at my wake

And they’ll cover me over with whiskey so pure

And I’ll dance on the lid of my coffin and cheer

Riddley-i-di, riddley-i-di-di, riddley-i-di-day