Mattie[G] walked out on a frozen night
He[C] was heading for the[G] pub but he had no delight
He[C] headed[G] down the railway track
And[D] his old cow[G] Delia sat a lowin him back
He met with a dark and staggering man
As he passed him by by shouting back at him
Mattie cant you see whats happening to me
I cannot feel the fight
The very last house that I have left
Half impressed with with my rhymes is now dead to me
All I've got left is the beat of the stagger
Heading down the Curragh line
But Mattie passed on as quick as he could
He couldn't stand a drunkin man sober
All he wanted was the lights in the bar
The Nightingale and the wild rover
When he came in they said ah your back
Did Delia drive you out with your spouting and your swearin
We dont want to hear about Bunker Hayden
Later you can give us the ''Girls of Kinkane''
The fear-a-ti*eyed him warily
As he handed him his first jug of portor
He says you must seen the bishop's ghost tonight
To put the dry look back in your eye
But Mattie would not be taken in
By their jibin and their regalin
He found himself a freshly blowin crew
And fell in with their spory and their bailin
But as he was going home in the very same spot
Where he met his dark familiar
He seen him coming back down the line
And he was bright strang and fine
As he passed him by Mattie threw out his arms
Trying to grab hold of his likeness
In the morning all they found was a frozen corpse
And the butt of Curragh line
And at the wake they were lashing down
The drops of brandy , the old fashioned habit
In the church they were lashing down pounds and fivers
So Mattie would be fine in the old by and by
