Step it out Mary
Sean McCarthy

In the village of Kildorey, there lived a maiden fair
Her eyes they shone like diamonds, she had long and golden hair
And a countryman came riding, up to her father's gate
Mounted on a milk white stallion, he came at the stroke of eight

CH
Step it out Mary, my fine daughter
Step it out Mary, if you can
Step it out Mary, my fine daughter
Show your legs to the countryman

I've come to court your daughter, Mary of the golden hair
I have wealth and I have money, I have goods beyond compare
I will buy her silks and satin and a gold ring for her hand
I'll build for her a mansion, she'll have servants to command

CH

Oh kind sir I love a soldier, I've pledged to him my hand
I don't want your wealth nor money, I don't want your goods nor land
Mary's father spoke up sharply: "You will do as you are told
You'll be married on next Sunday and you'll wear that ring of gold"

CH

In the village of Kildorey, there's a deep stream running by
They found Mary there at midnight, she drowned with the soldier boy
In the cottage there is music, you can hear the father say:
"Step it out Mary my fine daughter, Sunday is your wedding day"

CH

The chorus has been around in the town of Listowel as a childrens' skipping rhyme. My mother was brought up in Tralee, just down the road, and they didn't know or play the same game with skipping ropes; so it was a rhyme restricted to one small town.

Sean wrote the verses on the back of some cement bags during one lunch time while he was working on a building site in London. This was in the 1950s sometime.