Here's what Van Ronk's chorus sounds like to me Shawla guh hawla guh thamma guh thoo Shawla guh hawla guh thamma guh thoo Shawla guh hawla guh thamma guh thoo Balli shly gattery howsh munnaveen. Mean anything to Irish speakers? Of course, it may have been Irish once but Irish no longer. Or it may always have been gibberish in any language.