Old Mother Leary is an American nursery rhyme classic that’s been a singalong favorite for well over a century. The song is based on an old ragtime tune written in 1886 by Joe Hayden and Theodore Metz, “A Hot Time in the Old Town”. Sung by US soldiers during the Spanish-American war, at some point Old Mother Leary and her cow got added to the lyrics.
However, Mrs Leary and the cow weren’t fictional characters. The cow, Daisy, was blamed for causing the Great Chicago Fire that left a third of the city homeless and killed 300 people in 1871.
The media at the time described Mrs Leary as drunk and blamed her cow for kicking over a lantern. One of the reporters responsible for printing the story admitted decades later that they made up the story about the cow to sell more papers.
Daisy the cow is immortalized in Chicago history, and is recreated in parades and local events – despite the fact she is now known to be an innocent scapegoat!
Old Mother Leary Lyrics
Late one night
When we were all in bed
Old Mother Leary
Left a lantern in the shed
And when the cow kicked it over,
She winked her eye and said,
“There’ll be a hot time
In the old town, tonight.”
And the following extended version is mainly popular in Chicago
5 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!
4 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!
3 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!
2 nights ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE
1 night ago,
when we were all in bed
Old Mrs. Leary left the lantern in the shed
and when the cow kicked it over,
she winked her eye and said
it’ll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight!
FIRE FIRE FIRE!