Full Lyrics
Over in Killarney, many years ago,
Me mither sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty, in her good ould Irish way,
And I'd give the world if she could sing that song to me this day.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.
Oft in dreams I wander to that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me as when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a-hummin' to me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep outside the cabin door.
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.
About This Song
"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" was written by James Royce Shannon in 1913 for the Broadway show "Shameen Dhu." Despite being written in America, it became one of the most iconic Irish lullabies ever.
The song gained massive popularity when Bing Crosby sang it in the 1944 film "Going My Way," for which he won an Academy Award. In the movie, he sings it to comfort an elderly priest who is homesick for Ireland.
The nonsense words "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral" perfectly capture the soothing sounds a mother might hum to calm her baby, making it a timeless lullaby that transcends language barriers.