Lyrics and Music by Richie Kavanagh
(Richie)… “Aye Johnny di ya remember yer first marquee dance?”
At sixteen years of age, I went to my first marquee dance.
Girls dresses were so short, you could nearly see their pants.
Then I spy’ed this little red head, that I never seen before.
And I asked her if she’d like to come for a spin around the floor.
Well she held me o’ so tightly, she stuck to me like glue.
Sure I got so excited, I did’ent know what to do.
I brought her for a mineral, she drank the bleady lot.
I asked her if she’d go with me, she said sure why not.
Well I got me brothers car keys, it was an A forty.
Then myself and the red head, went outside now ya see.
Well she started for to kiss me, all over my big face.
And she started for to tickle me, in me important little place.
Well the sweat it run down me face, at what she might do next.
I was afraid for to feel her leg, in case the girl got vexted.
She says do you love me, says I sure I don’t know.
She says now your a quar fellow, your working too dam slow.
Well I laded me hand upon her knee an’ then to my surprise.
Looking through the wind screen were two great big mad eyes.
She says it is me brother, he keeps an eye on me.
Then he opened up the car door an’ stuck in his head ya see.
He says I’m this girls brother, what are you doing to her?
Go home to your mammy, ya sixteen year auld cur.
He had a great big woolie head, he was a savage of a man.
And in his right hand he had a great big guinness can.
He had far to much drink taken an’ he started for to mouth,
He drew out his left hand and gave me an awful a clouth.
Well the red head came between us, she says leave the chap alone.
Stand back, stand back he shouted I’m going to skin him to the bone.
Well I never will forget me first marque dance,
I went there the next night, never gave the girls a glance.
Never want to see that red head, o’ never no no more.
Cause you know her great big brother would lay cold out on the floor.
Cause you know that great big brother would lay cold out on the floor.
(Richie)..”Did ya ever see the red head since, Johnny?”
(Johnny)..”She was ”A Rale Humdinger” lad, I married her!”
(Richie)..”Yer codding”
(Johnny)..”I’m not.”
About the Song,…..Me First Marquee Dance.
Summer dancing in Ireland was held in marquees up and down the country.
There were as many as 700 full and part-time bands, travelling the country in the mid-1960s.
By the mid-1970s the phenomenon had peaked and was in decline.
A combination of upscale discos, new build modern hotel dance and cabaret rooms with full bar extensions,
brought the Marquee Ballroom and Showband business to a close in the early 1980s.