Auld Orange Flute

	  		verse 1 
       C                       G          C 
In the County Tyrone, near the town of Dungannon, 
               Am         G 
Where many the ructions meself had a hand in. 
    C                   F         C 
Bob Williamson lived, a weaver by trade, 
              G                          C 
And all of us thought him a stout Orange blade, 
                    Em       F 
On the Twelfth of July as it yearly did come, 
    C                            G7 
Bob played with his flute to the sound of a drum. 
        C                       F        C 
You may talk of your harp, your piano or lute, 
                              G          C 
But none can compare with the Old Orange Flute. 


verse 2 
C                     G           C 
Bob, the deceiver, he took us all in; 
             Am           G 
He married a Papist named Bridget McGinn. 
       C                     F            C 
Turned Papist himself and forsook the old cause 
                 G                     C 
That gave us our freedom, religion and laws. 
                 Em            F 
Now, boys of the townland made some noise upon it, 
    C                     G7 
And Bob had to fly to the province of Connaught. 
   C                          F          C 
He fled with his wife and his fixings to boot, 
                              G          C 
And along with the latter his Old Orange Flute. 


verse 3 
       C                   G              C 
At the chapel on Sunday to atone for past deeds, 
                   Am       G 
He'd say Pater and Aves and counted his brown beads. 
     C                       F            C 
'Til after some time, at the priest's own desire 
                               G           C 
He went with that old flute to play in the choir. 
                      Em           F 
He went with that old flute for to play for the Mass, 
        C                       G7 
But the instrument shivered and sighed, oh, alas, 
    C                              F            C 
And try though he would, though it made a great noise, 
                               G          C 
The flute would play only "The Protestant Boys." 


verse 4 
    C                        G        C 
Bob jumped and he stared and got in a flutter 
              Am               G 
And threw the old flute in the blessed holy water. 
   C                                   F          C 
He thought that this charm would bring some other Sound; 
                                   G            C 
When he tried it again, it played "Croppies Lie Down." 
                      Em          F 
Now, for all he could whistle and finger and blow, 
   C                    G7 
To play Papish music he found it no go. 
          C                              F            C 
"Kick the Pope" and "The Boyne Water" it freely would Sound, 
                            G           C 
But one Papish squeak in it couldn't be found. 


Verse 5 
       C                           G             C 
At the council of priests that was held the next day 
                Am         G 
They decided to banish the old flute away. 
     C                     F           C 
They couldn't knock heresy out of it's head, 
                     G                       C 
So they bought Bob a new one to play in it's stead. 
                       Em              F 
Now, the old flute was doomed, and its fate was pathetic 
      C                          G7 
'Twas fastened and burned at the stake as a heretic. 
       C                             F               C 
As the flames soared around it, they heard a strange Noise; 
                                         G          C 
'Twas the old flute still whistling "The Protestant Boys." 


Outro 
       F         C 
"Toora lu, toora lay, 
                                  G      C 
Oh, it's six miles from Bangor to Donnahadee."