The fish for me

O, fiddle-dee-dee with a herring’s belly,
Fiddle-dee-dee with a herring’s belly,
We’ll market a lassie and christen it Nellie,
Herring’s belly, lassie-ga-Nellie,
Herring’s back, laddie-ca-Jack,
Herring’s fins, needles and pins,
Herring’s eyes, puddings and pies,
Herring head, loaf and bread, and all sorts of things.
Of all the fish that swim in the sea, the herring it is the fish for me,
Sing fa-la-la-lai-doo, fa-la-la-lai-doo, fa-la-la-lai-doo-lai, day.

O, fiddle-dee-dee with a herring’s tail,
Fiddle-dee-dee with a herring’s tail,
We’ll mark it a ship with a beautiful sail
Herring’s tail, lar-i-a sail,
Herring’s belly, lassie-ga-Nellie,
Herring’s back, laddie-ca-Jack,
Herring’s fins, needles and pins,
Herring’s eyes, puddings and pies,
Herring head, loaf and bread, and all sorts of things.
Of all the fish that swim in the sea, the herring it is the fish for me,
Sing fa-la-la-lai-doo, fa-la-la-lai-doo, fa-la-la-lai-doo-lai, day.

-- Lullaby told to children in Irish fishing villages. Photo courtesy of Irishhistorylinks.com