The Bar Was Ours

[Intro] [fiddle melody, acoustic guitar strumming, driving drums] [Verse 1] [male vocals] The barman may wipe the counter clean At half past seven mean and keen There was coughing by the door all day And the ashtray crowd would not go away The barman hung the notices up Mind your manners, mind your cup He slid the lemon and the cloves in lime Said we're alright, just give it time [Pre-Chorus] But the room got thick with a wheeze and a spit And every old tune seemed to rattle a bit So pull the stools in and hold your breath We've got a long night and a stubborn mess [Chorus] [group backing vocals join] Clear the glass, clear the glass Keep the worst of it past Hold the door, hold the door Let it roll through the floor Clear the glass, clear the glass We'll outlast, we'll outlast With a grin and a prayer we'll keep the good cheer there [Instrumental Break] [fiddle solo, full band] [Verse 2] Old Seamus came in with a scarf And left it hanging by the hearth He said I'm grand and let out two Like winter fish from the backroom brew Meg packed the napkins high And flashed her eyes at passing fly She set the bleach by the sink in a row And said if it's here, it's got to go [Pre-Chorus] So the window cracked and the fire burned blue The fiddler leaned in with a tune or two And the whole pub said not tonight We'll scrub these tables till morning light [Chorus] Clear the glass, clear the glass Keep the worst of it past Hold the door, hold the door Let it roll through the floor Clear the glass, clear the glass We'll outlast, we'll outlast With a grin and a prayer we'll keep the good cheer there [Bridge] [drums drop to kick and snare only] By the back wall sink, by the barrel stack Every hand in the house had a better plan Salt in the water, lemon on the wood A song in the lungs like a stubborn good [Chorus] [full energy, fiddle trills] Clear the glass, clear the glass Keep the worst of it past Hold the door, hold the door Let it roll through the floor Clear the glass, clear the glass We'll outlast, we'll outlast With a grin and a prayer we'll keep the good cheer there [Outro] Clear the glass, clear the glass Sing it loud, sing it fast When the night comes around We'll still be here in town [final fiddle flourish, drum hit]