For some reason, this has always stuck in my head: in the old movie “THE CARDINAL”, the cardinal’s brother plays a few lines from a song , popular in the 1920’s. It goes like this: …“the Irish were Egyptians long ago…it must have been the Irish, who built the pyramids…”
I’ve never been able to learn the full words of this bit of music. Does anyone know?
Anyway, was this movie based upon the life of Cardinal Cushing (of Boston)?
Here’s the song, with music and lyrics:
http://digital.library.ucla.edu/apam/librarian?VIEWPDF=SY118696PDF
I’m assuming at this point, it’s in the public domain (if it’s not, may a mod please delete), so here’s the text:
I’ve studied things Egyptic,
Those writings weird and cryptic,
Upon the tombs that dot Sahara’s sands.
I’ve solved each strange inscription
Left by each wise Egyptian
And hold the mystic secret in my hands.
The Irish were Egyptians long ago
Just read between the lines and you will know.
CHORUS:
It must have been the Irish who built the Pyramids
For no one else could carry up the bricks.
It must have been a Doyle
Who dug the river Nile
For no one but an Irishman would fight a crocodile.
I think these Micks were Turks, Mohammedans and Ghurks
They speak of “Irish Turkey” till today.
Cleopatra was a colleen who came from Connmara
She lost her nationality while roaming in Sahara
So all the Hooligans and all the Dooligans
Must have been Egyptians long ago.
Chorus
Now every Houlihan once drove a caravan.
I’ll say the same for every Mac and O.
And when Moses went to Egypt and saw those Irish faces,
He took the name O’Callahan and changed it to O’Asis
So all the Hooligans and all the Dooligans
Must have been Egyptians long ago.