The Library of Congress American Memory Collection:

OULD HIGGINS' BALL
As sung by Tony Pastor and Fred May.
Air: The Wedding of Ballyporeen No. 2. or The Priest of the Parish.

Arrah! haven't ye heard of ould Higgins' ball,
Where Fashion's gay devotees they mustered all?
If not, and you'll listen now, I'll just describe
The joys of a trip to that musical tribe.
There was wealthy ould citizens there, as you see,
And the boys and the girls dressed as fine as could be,
And some out-and-out buffers, a dozen in all,
We made up our minds for a trip to the ball.

Now, whin ready to start, how the people did stare!
We had each of us got something patent and rare;
We made up our minds that the nation we'd stun,
And arrived just in time as the ball had begun.
There ould Higgins we saw, in his new, greasy boots,
Quite busy a-tuning the fiddles and flutes:
A group of musicians, all of the right sort
Whose scraping and noise filled the room full of sport.

Now, the time had arrived for the ball to begin,
And the music struck up such a terrible din!
Wid ould Mrs. H. at the top of the dance,
Each merry young couple did quickly advance:
Och! then, what with treading on each other's toes,
And knocking our heads against many a nose,
Kicking each other's ankles, and jigging in vain:
'Twas an illigant mixture of pleasure and pain!

Now, things went on well, till McGinniss, the snob,
From me my young woman was trying to rob:
Och! thin, such a terrible fight did ensue,
And the rest joining in, at each other they flew.
Peggy Rielly called Higgins an ould drunken sot,
Whin away at her head flew a big pewther pot;
My valor for Peggy it very soon shows,
Just by breaking the bridge of ould Higgins' nose.

Now, they left the place in such a terrible mess,
All covered with portions of bonnets and dress--
Until, quite exhausted, they all fell asleep,
And there, until morning, they lay in a heap.
Now, if ever they venture to go there again,
There's one thing I'll tell you, and that's very plain:
They'll not soon forget, faith! if ever at all.
The illigant fight we'd at ould Higgins' ball.