Genie, I'm going to move you over here until we have a definitive decision about a completely correct and correctly attributed version of the lyrics. I'll agree that the lyrics in the Digital Tradition are flawed (and obviously unattributed), but your suggestion of "Englishman" just doesn't make sense. If the father were Orange, wouldn't he be an Ulsterman?


Here's the DT Version, with corrections I made by listening to recordings by the Wolfe Tones and Irish Rovers:



THE ORANGE AND THE GREEN
(Anthony Murphy)

Oh, my father was an Ulster man, proud Protestant was he;
My mother was a Catholic and from County Cork was she.
They were married in two churches, and lived happily enough;
Until the day that I was born, and things got rather tough.

Baptized by Father Reilly, I was rushed away by car
To be made a little Orangeman, my father's shining star.
I was christened David Anthony, but still in spite of that,
To my father I was Billy while my mother called me Pat.

CHORUS:
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
My father was an Orangeman, my mother she was Green.

Now, with mother every Sunday to Mass I'd proudly stroll,
And after that the Orange lads would try to save my soul.
And both sides tried to claim me but I was smart because
I'd play the flute or play the harp depending where I was.

And when I'd sing those rebel songs, much to my mother's joy,
My father would jump up and say, "Look here, come here me boy!
That's quite enough of that, lad," he'd toss me o'er a coin,
He'd have me sing "The Orange Flute" and "The Heroes of the Boyne."

CHORUS:
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen,
My father was an Orangeman, my mother she was Green.

One day my ma's relations came 'round to visit me,
Just as my father's kinfolk were sitting down to tea;
We tried to smooth things over; they all began to fight,
And me being strictly neutral, I kicked everyone in sight.

My parents never could agree about my type of school,
My learning was all done at home; that's why I'm such a fool.
They've both passed on, God rest them, but I was left between
That awful color problem of the Orange and the Green

CHORUS:
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
My father was an Orangeman, my mother she was Green. (twice)

ALTERNATE CHORUS:
Oh, it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
My father he was Orange, and my mother she was Green.

Transcribed from a Wolfe Tones recording. The Irish Rovers recording is very similar, but has the alternate chorus.
Parody of Wearing Of The Green by Anthony Murphy of Huyton, Liverpool, England, who regularly performed this song live at the Wash House Folk Club in Liverpool ca.1960

@Irish @political
filename[ ORANGREN
TUNE FILE: WEARGREN
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RB
OCT98