[Verse 1]
G C/G G
Sergeant William Bailey was a man of high renown,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
G C/G G
In search of gallant young recruits he used to scour the town,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
D
His face was full and swarthy, of medals he had forty,
D/F# G
And ribbons on his chest red white and blue,
G C/G C/B Em
It was he that looked the hero as he made the people stare O,
G D D/F# G
As he stood on Dunphy’s corner tooral loo.
[Verse 2]
G C/G G
Now Sergent William Bailey on Dunprhy's corner stands
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
C/G G
Enticing Dublin young lands for to die in foreign lands
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
D
For to improve their station, he shouts in high-alation
D/F# G
To come and fight for king and country
G C/G C/B Em
But for all the noise he's making, that bait they aren't taking
G D D/F# G
From Sergent William Bailey tooral loo.
[Verse 3]
G C/G G
But alas for human greatness every dog he has his day,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
G C/G G
And Sergeant William Bailey he is getting old and grey,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
D
No longer youths are willing to take his dirty shilling,
D/F# G
And things for him are looking mighty blue,
G C/G C/B Em
For in spite of fife and drumming no more recruits are coming,
G D D/F# G
For Sergeant William Bailey tooral loo.
[Instrumental]
G C/G G
D G
G C/G G
D G
D
D/F# G
G C/G C/B C
G D D/F# G
[Verse 4]
G C/G G
And now, Sergeant William Bailey what a wretched sight to see,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
G C/G G
And the back that once was strong and straight is almost bent in three,
D G
Tooral looral looral looral loo,
D
Some rebel youths with placards have called his army blackguards,
D/F# G
And told the Irish youth just what to do,
G C/G C/B Em
He has lost his occupation let’s sing in jubilation,
G D D/F# G
For Sergeant William Bailey tooral loo
[Outro]
G C/G G
D G
G C/G G
D G
D
D/F# G
G C/G C/B C
G D D/F# G
