Her hair was dark and curly, floatin to the saddle bow,
Her laugh was frank and girlish, and her voice was sweet and low;
When I was one-and-twenty, sure my heart was in a whirl,
Ridin neath the blossomed gum-trees with OGradys little girl.
And ah! The dear grey eyes of her all truth and purity
What a beacon-light to goodness, such a colleens eyes can be!
The blazed a track to Heaven for me an it struck me like a blow
When OGrady left the township, just twenty years ago.
In those years Ive grown and prospered-sure the townships half me own-
But my hearts been empty-aching-since she left me all alone.
Now weve got a Back-to-She-Oak week, celebratin royally,
And Noras coming home again, to join the revelry.
Ill know her by here wild-rose face, her floatin curling hair,
By the neat black skirt and frilly blouse she always loved to wear,
Ive never looked at wimmin since, but at the township ball
Ill tell her all my faithful love-my hopes, and dreams and all.
Oh! the band is playing gaily, but alone I sit apart,
Watching all the merry dancers, with a sore and aching heart;
Gaily old friends greet each other, but my head is in a whirl,
As I watcher her twirling past me-Dan OGradys little girl.
Shes grown stout-shes got a shingle-and her skirts just on her knee
Sure the girl that I remembers not the girl she used to be,
And the merry lilting music ringing out into the night,
Seems to mock my dying fancies and my dream of lost delight.
Now the band is playing softly-tis the waltz we used to know,
And Ill have to ask her for it, for the sake of long ago,
But ah! The dear grey eyes of her, uplifted now to me,
And the unchanged heart beneath them, full of truth and purity.
Tis a womans heart that matters, fashions come and fashions go,
And what signifies a shingle, for a shingle sure can grow,
All my lonely years are over, Im as happy as an earl,
Looking forward to the future with OGradys little girl.