One's for sorrow, two's for joy Three's for a girl and four's for a boy Five's for silver, six for gold Seven's for a secret never told Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee Oh, the magpie brings us tidings Of news both fair and foul She's more cunning than the raven More wise than any owl For she brings us news of the harvest Of the barley, wheat, and corn And she knows when we'll go to our graves And how we shall be born One's for sorrow, two's for joy Three's for a girl and four's for a boy Five's for silver, six for gold Seven's for a secret never told Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee She brings us joy when from the right Grief when from the left Of all the news that's in the air We know to trust her best For she sees us at our labour And she mocks us at our work And she steals the eggs from out of the nest And she can mob the hawk One's for sorrow, two's for joy Three's for a girl and four's for a boy Five's for silver, six for gold Seven's for a secret never told Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee Devil, devil, I defy thee The priest, he says we're wicked For to worship the devil's bird Ah, but we respect the old ways And we disregard his word For we know they rest uneasy As we slumber in the night And we'll always leave out a little bit of meat For the bird that's black and white One's for sorrow, two's for joy Three's for a girl and four's for a boy Five's for silver, six for gold Seven's for a secret never told