Is your mother in, Molly Malone?

AKA Mollie Malone
Is your mother home, Molly Malone?
First Published 1903
Writer/composer A J Mills and George Everard Roud RN24226

Music Hall Performers Walter Munroe
Folk performances Collected from the singing of:
Metcalfe, Ruth; Canada : Nova Scotia ; 1957
Costello, Cecilia; England : Warwickshire;1967
Walmsley, Molly; England : Lancashire; 1969

Young Michael McGee loved Miss Molly Malone,
And longed for the time when he'd call her his own;
All sorts of excuses to see her he'd make,
As he hung 'round the house every day.
One evening he tapped at the door - and his love
Sweet Molly looked out from the window above,
Said she, "Go away! Sure in trouble I'll get!"
But he answered, "I'll not go away!"

"Is your mother in, Molly Malone?"
Molly sighed, "She's out!"
"Is your father in, Molly Malone?"
Molly cried, "He's out!"
"Then can I come in by the fireside,
And sit there along with you?"
But she said with a smile, "Oh you'll wait for a while,
For the fire's out, too!"

When an Irishman worships a pair of bright eyes,
To get at them, sure, he'll tell all sorts of lies!
"A faint heart it never won fair lady yet,"
And that old saying young Michael knew.
So he stood there and argued for quite a long while,
And Molly said, "Please go away with your guile!"
"Och! Why do you worry me so?" he replied,
"It's your mother I'm wantin', not you!"

Young Michael looked up, as he scratched his 'old poll,' 
And said, "Troth I'm in trouble, I am, 'pon my soul!
If your parents are out now, and I can't come in,
By the piper, sure, I'm out as well!
For I've recently purchased a neat golden ring,
For your left hand's third finger it's just the right thing!"
Said Molly, "Sure, tho' they're all out, I'm at home —
So you needn't stand down there and yell —

A song by the prolific lyricist AJ Mills with music composed by George Everard – a big hit throughout the English-speaking world in the 1900s. On the British Music Hall stage it was most associated with the comedian Walter Munroe. Not to be confused with the many other songs featuring the stage-Irish character “Molly Malone”, eg Cockles and Mussels.

A slightly truncated version recorded by Billy Murray in 1906, the video features an example of the postcards that were commonly used to publicise songs in the UK in the 20th century:

Sources: