Good people pray heed a petition Your attention we beg and we crave And if you are inclined for to listen An abundance of pastime we’ll have We have come to relate many stories Concerning our forefathers’ times And we trust they will drive out your worries Of this we are all in one mind Many tales of the poor and the gentry Of labour and love will arise There are no finer songs in this country In Scotland and Ireland likewise There’s one thing more needing mention The dances we’ll dance all in fun So now that you’ve heard our intention We’ll play on to the beat of the drum