Lyrics of What will you do sung by Seamus Ennis

[Juan Pablo Plata]

Hi! My english is not very efficient and I wish to know the lyrics of What will you do sung by Seamus Ennis, because my ear doesn´t understand very well yet the spoken english. Lot of thanks!!

[Cayden]

What would you do if the kettle boiled over
What could I do but to fill it again
And what would would you do if the cow ate the clover
What could I do but to set it again

The Praties are dug and the frostis all over
Kitty lie over close to the wall
How would you like to be married to a soldier
Kitty lie over close to the wall

From memory that, possibly there's a third verse, you'll have to the diddly-ay in between for yourself.

[John Allison]

The original lyrics were by Beth Cronin but Seamus Ennis supposedly changed them when he recorded the tune "What Would You Do" in Celtic Mouth Music. I wasn't able to find his recording but did find some lyrics from other recordings.

Oh, what would you do if you married a soldier?
"What would I do but to follow the gun?"
And what would you do if he died in the ocean?
"What would I do but to marry again?"

A rout the da dee the dum diddly da dum
A rout the da doubt the da diddly da dum
Da da diddly da dum da dee da dum da diddly
da dee da diddly da dum

And what would you do if the kettle boiled over?
"What would I do but to fill it again?"
And what would you do if the cows ate the clover?
"What would I do but to set it again?"

A rout the da dee the dum diddly da dum
A rout the da doubt the da diddly da dum
Da da diddly da dum da dee da dum da diddly
da dee da diddly da dum

The praties are dug and the frost is all over
"Kitty, lie over next to the wall"
The summer is come and we're all in the clover
"Kitty, lie over next to the wall"

A rout the da dee the dum diddly da dum
A rout the da doubt the da diddly da dum
Da da diddly da dum da dee da dum da diddly
da dee da diddly da dum

and

1. What would you do if the kettle boiled over?
What would I do? Only fill it again.
And what would you do if the cow ate the clover?
What would I do only set it again.

2. The praties are dug and the frost is all over
Kitty lie over close to the wall.
How would you like to be married to a soldier?
Kitty lie over close to the wall.

3. The praties all boil and the herring's a roasting
Kitty lie over close to the wall.
You to be drunk and me to be sober
Kitty lie over close to the wall.

4. What would you do if you married a soldier
what would you do would you follow his gun?
And what would you do if he drowned in the ocean
what would you do would you marry again?

[Cayden]

The version all know is of course the PLanxty one, I thought I remembered Ennis had it from Bess Cronin but didn't give myself the time to look it up. Her version is in the Bess Cronin book as no 191 and gives three verses.

[Juan Pablo Plata]

Thanks for the lyrics. Due to a multi-tendinitis in both arms I have begun to learn singing until I can play the pipes.Thanks again.