Oh me name is McNamara I'm the leader of the band Although we're small in numbers we're the best band in the land We play for wakes and weddings And at every fancy ball And when we play the funerals We play the March from Saul Oh the drums go bang The cymbals clang The horns they blaze away McCarthy plays the old basson While I the pipes do play And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute And the music is something grand A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaa, laaaa la la la laaaaa Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaaaa A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band Right now we are rehearsing For a very swell affair The annual celebration All the gentry will be there When General Grant to Ireland came He took me by the hand Saws he, I never heard the likes of McNamara's band Oh the drums go bang The cymbals clang The horns they blaze away McCarthy plays the old basson While I the pipes do play And Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute And the music is something grand A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaa, laaaa la la la laaaaa Tra la la laaa, la la la laa laaaaaaa A credit to old Ireland is McNamara's band