Mrs. McGrath

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Track 3 of We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, 2006. Traditional.

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Credits

• We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Sam Bardfeld: violin
  • Frank Bruno: guitar
  • Jeremy Chatzky: double bass
  • Larry Eagle: drums, percussion
  • Charles Giordano: piano
  • Soozie Tyrell: violin

Performances

Performed live 62 times (not including snippet performances). 2006-11-21 Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland 2006-11-19 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2006-11-18 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2006-11-17 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2006-11-14 Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, England 2006-11-12 Wembley Arena, London, England 2006-11-11 Wembley Arena, London, England 2006-11-09 NEC Arena, Birmingham, England 2006-11-07 Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium 2006-11-06 Kölnarena, Cologne, Germany 2006-10-30 Globen, Stockholm, Sweden 2006-10-29 Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway 2006-10-28 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark 2006-10-25 Pabellón Deportivo, Santander, Spain 2006-10-24 Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain 2006-10-22 Plaza De Toros De Granada, Granada, Spain 2006-10-21 Estadi Ciutat De València, València, Spain 2006-10-19 Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas, Madrid, Spain 2006-10-13 Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2006-10-12 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany 2006-10-10 PalaLottomatica, Rome, Italy 2006-10-08 PalaMaggiò, Caserta, Italy 2006-10-07 Arena Santa Giuliana, Perugia, Italy 2006-10-05 Arena Di Verona, Verona, Italy 2006-10-04 Villa Manin, Udine, Italy 2006-10-02 PalaIsozaki, Turin, Italy 2006-10-01 PalaMalaguti, Bologna, Italy 2006-06-25 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ 2006-06-24 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ 2006-06-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 2006-06-20 Tweeter Center At The Waterfront, Camden, NJ 2006-06-19 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY 2006-06-17 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI 2006-06-16 Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 2006-06-14 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI 2006-06-13 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL 2006-06-11 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN 2006-06-10 Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA 2006-06-06 Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, CA 2006-06-05 Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 2006-06-03 Glendale Arena, Glendale, AZ 2006-05-31 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN 2006-05-30 Germain Amphitheater, Columbus, OH 2006-05-28 Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA 2006-05-27 Tweeter Center For The Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA 2006-05-21 Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden 2006-05-20 Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway 2006-05-17 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany 2006-05-16 Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2006-05-14 Pavelló Olímpic De Badalona, Barcelona, Spain 2006-05-12 DatchForum, Milan, Italy 2006-05-10 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France 2006-05-09 LSO St. Luke's, London, England 2006-05-08 Hammersmith Apollo, London, England 2006-05-07 Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England 2006-05-05 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2006-04-30 New Orleans Fair Grounds, New Orleans, LA 2006-04-26 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ 2006-04-25 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ 2006-04-24 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ 2006-04-20 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

Performances broken down by tour (not including rehearsals and snippet performances) Performed at 0 show(s) of 130 on the 2023-25 International Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 266 on the Springsteen On Broadway run. Performed at 0 show(s) of 14 on the Summer '17 Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 0 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 83 on the Working On A Dream Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 56 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 1 known other show(s), plus 4 public tour rehearsal(s).

Multiples

Performed multiple times during the following shows:

• 2006-05-09 LSO St. Luke's, London, England

Released on Album

Released on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006).

A live version is released on Live In Dublin (2007) (recorded November 17, 2006).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 3 official live downloads:

• 2006-11-11 Wembley Arena, London, England
• 2006-10-10 PalaLottomatica, Rome, Italy
• 2006-04-30 New Orleans Fair Grounds, New Orleans, LA

On The Tracks

MRS. McGRATH

4:20

WSO

Note: Recorded on March 19, 2005 during the second of the three Seeger Sessions.

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^{Studio Sessions: The Seeger Sessions}

Media

Lyrics

Mrs. McGrath

"Mrs. McGrath," the sergeant said, "would you like a soldier out of your son Ted?
With a scarlet coat and a big cocked hat, Mrs. McGrath will you like that?"

With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa

Now Mrs. McGrath lived on the shore and after seven years or more
She spied a ship come into the bay with her son from far away
"O captain dear, where have you been? You been sailing the Mediterranean
Have you news of my son Ted? Is he living or is he dead?"

With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa

Then came Ted without any legs and in their place two wooden pegs
She kissed him a dozen times or two and said, "my God, Ted, is it you?
Now were you drunk or were you blind when you left your two fine legs behind?
Or was it walking upon the sea that wore your two fine legs away?"

With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa

"Now I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind when I left my two fine legs behind
A cannonball on the fifth of May tore my two fine legs away"
"My Teddy boy," the widow cried, "your two fine legs were you mother's pride
Stumps of a tree won't do at all, why didn't you run from the cannonball?"

With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa

"All foreign wars I do proclaim live on blood and a mother's pain
I'd rather have my son as he used to be than the King of America and his whole navy"

With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
With your too-ri-aa fol-ded-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa
Too-ri-aa fol-did-dle-di-aa too-ri-oo-ri-oo-ri-aa

Hey!

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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