ALL:
Tonight we're going to meet some lads
Us girls are dressed up gaily

We'll all be dancing 'til the dawn
We're going to the ceili


The lads they come from miles around
From Ennis and Kilmaley
To show us all their fancy steps

We're going to the ceili

They're playing tunes on everything

From pipes to ukulele
It sounds so good you can't sit down
We're dancing at the ceili


LISA:
All the boys we loved so well

So handsome young and charming
They're in New York and Boston now
They should be home here farming

My own true love has sailed away
To be an endless rover
'Cos times are tough and he must leave

To start a new life over

He writes me letters every week

To say how much he's slaving
And he promises that he'll be back
Before the hay needs saving

But it's hard to love somebody
That you're not in touch with daily
So I'm looking for somebody new

Tonight down at the ceili

The winter nights are long and hard

And time goes by so slowly
I wish my true lover he was here
And in his arms I'd roll

He'd whisper tender words of love to me
And kiss my lips so sweetly
And quickly I'd surrender to his manly charms completely


ALL:
He writes me letters every week

To say how much he's slavin'
And he promises that he'll be back
Before the hay needs savin'

But it's hard to love somebody
That you're not in touch with daily
So I'm looking for somebody new

Tonight down At The Ceili
So I'm looking for somebody new
Tonight down At The Ceili


ORLA:
I hope I meet someone tonight

Who'll make my heart beat fast
A handsome man with laughing eyes
Who smiles as he walks past

And when they play an old-time waltz,
He'll twirl me round the floor
He'll promise me that I will be

His girl forevermore
His girl forevermore
His girl forevermore

He'll promise me that I will be
His girl forevermore


MEAV:
I'm somewhat in a bother
That is really quite alarming

I have two lads pursuing me
And each of them is charming
One of them is dark and poor

One fair with lots of money
I don't know which one to choose
The flowered or the honey

What on earth am I to do

It's driving me half crazy
Tonight I'll make my mind up
When I see them At The Ceili

To be a poor man's wife will be

A life of washing dishes
When a rich man's wife will surely have
Great luxury and riches

In comfort how I know

It wouldn't be too hard to wallow
But being poor is not much fun
Which one should I follow?

ALL:

What on earth am I to do
It's driving me half crazy
Tonight I'll make my mind up
When I see them At The Ceili

LISA:

I've been lucky I've found a lad who's handsome and a neighbor

ORLA:
And me I've met a decent man who's friendship I will savor

MEAV:
And me I've made my choice as well and in no way was it easy

But I'd rather have a man for love
Then to be a rich man's lady

ALL:
And that is how the story ends
May true love never fail me
We got ourselves three men tonight

And we met them at the ceili!