The Orange And The Green

D Bm A G D A D


[CHORUS]

   D         Bm                  A
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   G             D             A              D
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[VERSE 1]
      D             Bm               A
Oh me father was an Ulsterman, proud Protestant was he
   G            D                   A               D
Me mother was a Catholic girl, from County Cork was she
          Bm                             A
They were married in two churches, lived happily enough
  G                D              A                 D
Until the day that I was born and things got rather tough

[CHORUS]

   D         Bm                  A
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   G             D             A              D
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[VERSE 2]
   D                 Bm          A
Baptised by father Reilly, I was rushed away by car
      G                           A                D
To be made a little orangeman, me father's shining star
      Bm                            A
I was christened David Anthony, but still in spite of that
      G            D                A                D
To my father I was William while me mother called me Pat

[CHORUS]

   D         Bm                  A
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   G             D             A              D
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[VERSE 3]
      D             Bm               A
With mother every Sunday to mass I'd proudly stroll
     G              D                A              D
Then after that the orange lot would try to save my soul
Bm                                A
Both sides tried to claim me, but I was smart because
  G                   D                  A               D
I played the flute or played the harp, depending where I was

[CHORUS]

   D         Bm                  A
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   G             D             A              D
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[VERSE 4]
    D                  Bm                     A
Now when I’d sing them rebel songs much to me mother’s joy
   G                 Bm               A                D
Me father would jump up and say “Look here, William me boy!
       Bm                                   A
That's quite enough of that lot.", and he'd then toss me a coin
        G                 D                   A             D
And he'd have me sing The Orange Flute or the Heroes Of The Boyne.

[CHORUS]

   D         Bm                  A
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   G             D             A              D
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[KEY CHANGE]

[VERSE 5]
    E           C#m            B
One day me ma's relations came round to visit me
     A              E                B               E
Just as me father's kinfolk were all sittin' down to tea
   C#m                                   B
We tried to smooth things over, but they all began to fight
    A                 E                 B           E
And me being strictly neutral, I bashed everyone in sight

[CHORUS]

   E         C#m                 B
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   A             E             B              E
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green


[VERSE 6]
 E               C#m          B
Me parents never could agree about my type of school
   A                E                    B              E
My learning was all done at home, that's why I'm such a fool
     C#m                                B
They both passed on, God rest them, but left me caught between
     A           E              B              E
That awful color problem of the orange and the green

[CHORUS]

   E         C#m                 B
Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   A             E             B              E
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green

     E        C#m                 B
Yes it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
   A             E             B              E
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green