Finnegan’s Wake lyrics

Tim Finnegan lived in Watling Street

A gentleman Irish mighty odd

He had a brogue1 both rich and sweet

And to rise in the world he carried a hod2

But Tim had a bit of a tippler’s3 way

With a love for the liquor he was born

And to send him on his way each day

He'd a drop of the craythur4 every morn'

Whack-Fol-De-Dah5 will you dance to your partner

Whirl ‘round the floor, your trotters shake

Isn't it the truth I told you

Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Now one morning Tim was rather full

His head felt heavy which made him shake

He fell off the ladder and he broke his skull

Then they carried him home his corpse to wake

Oh they wrapped him up in a nice clean sheet

They laid him out upon the bed

With a bottle of whiskey at his feet

And a barrel of porter at his head

Whack-Fol-De-Dah will you dance to your partner

Whirl ‘round the floor, your trotters shake

Isn't it the truth I told you

Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Then his friends assembled at the wake

And Mrs. Finnegan called for lunch

Well, first she brought them tay6 and cake

Then pipes, tobacco, and brandy punch

Then the widow Malone began to cry

Such a lovely corpse you did ever see

Musha7 Tim mavourneen8, why did you die?

Will you hold your gob9 says Molly McGee.

Whack-Fol-De-Dah will you dance to your partner

Whirl ‘round the floor, your trotters shake

Isn't it the truth I told you

Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Oh well, Mary Murphy took up the job

Biddy says she you're wrong I'm sure

Well, Biddy fenced her a belt on the gob

And left her sprawling on the floor

A civil war did then engage

'Twas woman to woman and man to man

Shillelah10 law was all the rage

And a row and a ruction it soon began

Whack-Fol-De-Dah will you dance to your partner

Whirl ‘round the floor, your trotters shake

Isn't it the truth I told you

Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

Old Tim Maloney ducked his head

When a bottle of whiskey flew at him

He ducked and landing on the bed

The whiskey scatters over Tim

Bedad11 he revives, and see how he rises

Tim Finnegan rising in the bed

Sayin’ twirl your whiskey around like blazes?

By the thunderin’ Jaysus do you think I'm dead?

Whack-Fol-De-Dah will you dance to your partner

Whirl ‘round the floor, your trotters shake

Isn't it the truth I told you

Lots of fun at Finnegan's wake

How is the ould one? ... Game ball

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brogue 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_hod 3. tippler = drunkard4. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/craythur 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilting 6. 7. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/musha 8. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mavourneen 9. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gob#Noun_2 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillelagh_(club) 11. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bedad